


Double Down

by PrettiestStar17



Series: All Bets Are Off [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fremione - Freeform, Future, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Hogwarts, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2020-12-21 15:38:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21077306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettiestStar17/pseuds/PrettiestStar17
Summary: *Sequel to All Bets Are Off*After almost 25 years and four children, Fred and Hermione were ready for the next stage of their lives. As fate would have it, the next stage of life held some surprises.(Please take note of the rating! I kept All Bets Are Off PG-13 but ramped this one up to Explicit.)





	1. Chapter 1

June 2028

“I do believe you have had enough wine for this evening,” Fred Weasley laughed, keeping a firm grip on his inebriated wife. She had her head leaned all the way back and was cackling like mad at one of his jokes. He knew she'd had one too many because she never laughed at his good jokes in that manner, let alone his terrible dad jokes. 

“I’m fine!” Hermione insisted, righting herself and relaxing back against Fred, with a hiccup, as they continued to sway around the dance floor.

“Yes, you’re completely fine until tomorrow’s Daily Prophet proclaims we’ve elected a drunkard as Minister for Magic.”

“I’m not drunk,” she argued, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Over two decades together and she was still able to send shivers down his spine, making it feel like the first time he danced with her. “I’m happily relaxed. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to let my hair down and actually enjoy a Ministry function. Plus, I know you won’t let me do anything stupid.”

“You do remember who you’re married to, right?” Fred said, pulling back and smirking at her.

Hermione let out another hearty laugh. “Let me rephrase that. I know you won’t let me do anything career-ruining stupid.”

“Yeah, that sounds like me.” Fred pulled her close and nuzzled her cheek, whispering, “I’m excited to get you home and literally let your hair down.”

“Oh, really?” 

“I'm going to take complete advantage of your ‘happily relaxed’ state. How long is Sabrina staying with George and Ang?”

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in delight. “She won’t be home until tomorrow evening. Ang is taking her and Lilah out to spend their birthday money on manicures, pedicures, and new summer dresses.”

“I am going to have you in every room of the house before she returns,” he murmured against her lips before kissing them.

“Promises, promises, Mr. Weasley,” she said teasingly.

“I always keep my promises.”

Hermione had held the position of Minister of Magic for just over a year, making it a very stressful one as she navigated performing the roles of wife, mother, and leader of the Wizarding World of Great Britain. There were plenty of late nights and long business trips as she became familiar with the role and other foreign governments she would be working with.

The year before had been a similarly long year as Hermione campaigned for the position after being nominated by the one and only Harry Potter. Everyone insisted that she was a shoo-in, but Hermione was adamant that she wasn’t going to run solely on her name and Harry’s coattails. This meant she made sure to show her face at every Ministry function she was invited to and working her backside off to ensure she produced work that wasn’t just competent but exceedingly so. 

All of that combined for two years of Fred taking on both parenting roles to their two youngest daughters. It helped that Ella was at Hogwarts for the majority of the years, but Sabrina, their youngest, would only just start this coming August. She was an energetic, spit-fire that was easily bored. To combat the boredom, she signed up for numerous extracurriculars, which meant Fred was run ragged from science fairs, piano recitals, and gymnastic meets on top of managing the Wheezes shops.

Needless to say, he and Hermione had spent the past two years in a perpetual state of exhaustion and were in desperate need of an empty house and no demands. That night would only be the beginning. Come August, Sabrina would start her first year at Hogwarts and Ella would start her final year. Hermione’s schedule would slow down and Fred would just have to worry about his shop obligations. 

“How about you go start on your long list of farewells so we can get out of here and go enjoy our quiet home?” Fred suggested, arching his eyebrows.

“I like where your head’s at.”

* * *

  
  


Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace but Fred was able to snag her around the waist before she fell to the floor. He quickly silenced her thanks with a kiss, backing her up against the living room wall. 

“Should we go someplace a little more comfortable?” Hermione breathed against his lips.

“Every room, remember?” 

He snagged her bottom lip between his teeth, eliciting a pleasurable “Ahhh” from Hermione as she rolled her hips against his. Fred grabbed her arse and held her close, his erection straining against his trousers.

“You think you’re still virile enough to have your way with me against this wall?”

“Is that a challenge?” He pinned her arms over her head and sucked at the sensitive flesh under her ear.

“We’re not as young as we once were.”

“Challenge accepted,” he purred, gliding his hands down her arms and over her back. As he slowly pulled the zipper down, he hummed in amusement. “No bra? How risque, Minister.”

“What have I told you about calling me that in the bedroom?” Hermione scolded as her fingers came down to undo his waistcoat buttons. Letting that fall to the ground, she grabbed his tie and pulled his lips back to hers.

“We’re not in the bedroom...Minister.” He pulled the tie over his head and attacked her lips again, interrupting her growl. Fred swept his hands over her shoulders, pushing down the straps of her satin sage dress, letting it slide down her body and encircle her feet with shimmering ripples. 

“You and your loopholes,” Hermione muttered, fumbling with his shirt buttons.

Fred gently grasped her hands and pulled them away from his shirt. Taking a step back, he slowly started unbuttoning his shirt as he took in the sight of his almost naked wife (those panties would be gone shortly), watching him with anticipation in her amber eyes. When she ran her tongue over her upper lip, his cock screamed for release. 

Time had taken a toll on them both. Four kids had left them with streaks of grey hair, laugh lines, crows feet, and stretch marks. They both groused about their aging marks but each one had been well earned. And when Hermione still looked at him the way she did their very first night together, Fred couldn’t imagine a more beautiful sight.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

Hermione’s voice brought him out of his trance and he finished undoing his final shirt button. Tossing the garment to the side, he answered, “You. Always you,” before wrapping himself around her again. 

As Fred nipped and sucked at her neck, Hermione made quick work of his trousers. She pushed them down, along with his pants, finally freeing him from his cloth prison. He pressed himself against her panties and groaned with anticipation.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured against the shell of her ear.

“It’s been so long,” Hermione panted, biting his neck. She bit the crook of his neck and then lavished the fresh bruise with languid licks. “I fear one touch and I may just explode.”

“That’s okay, love. There will be plenty more explosions to follow.”

Fred tried to take his time as he kissed his way down her body. He ran his hands up and down her legs, caressing her arse and breasts as he tried to get her body to relax. When his ministrations started to evoke soft hums and breathy sighs, Fred gently spread her legs apart and ran the tip of his tongue over her soaked underwear.

“Why are these still here?” he tsked.

“The anticipation is always the best part,” she breathed.

“Indeed it is.”

Fred hooked his fingers over the sides of the panties. He considered slowly inching them down her legs but then decided he had waited long enough and yanked them straight down. Hermione let out a giggle as he struggled to get them off her feet. Her laughter was quickly replaced with pleasurable mewling when Fred diverted his attention from the panties to plunging his tongue between her folds.

“Oh, fuck, yessss.”

Without breaking from his task, Fred lifted her legs and hooked them over his shoulders, giving him leverage to delve deeper into her core. As her climax built, Hermione linked her ankles and squeezed them around his neck. It was all going fine until--”

“Ow,” Fred yelped against her folds. He pulled his head back slightly and said, “Careful, love. That pinched nerve is still giving me jip.”

“I thought I told you to get that looked at last week?” Hermione glared down at him. Half of her curls had escaped from her updo, giving her her menacing lion look.

“I will when I have an opening in my schedule. Until then, shush! And be gentle with my old bones.”

“Speaking of old bones, when am I gonna get mine?” 

Hermione grinned at him and Fred growled, throwing her legs off him. He jumped to his feet and pressed her back against the wall. Her grin never faltered, even when he grabbed her arse and dug his nails in. 

“Do you know how fucking crazy you make me?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers. 

“Show me.” She wrapped her hand around his length and gave it a slow stroke. “And don’t you dare hold back.”

Fred growled again and lifted her off the ground. She locked her legs around his middle and he thrust himself into her. He stilled for a moment, enjoying being sheathed in her warmth. Keeping Hermione pressed against the wall, he started slowly rocking in and out, building up a rhythm. 

As Hermione’s walls started to tighten, Fred quickened his thrusts. One of her hands was gripping his shoulder and the other had a firm grasp on his hair. He pounded into her hard and fast, ignoring the rattling of picture frames on the wall and reveling in Hermione’s unbridled cries as her climax grew closer and closer…

When her wave of pleasure crested, Hermione sank her teeth into Fred’s shoulder. He felt his legs start to shudder as the pressure of his own release mounted, but he held tighter to Hermione and continued to fuck her into the wall, ensuring she got the most out of her orgasm.

“Come with me, Fred,” she breathed. “I want to feel all of you.”

Her simple request was all it took to break his resolve. As her walls quivered and crumbled around him, he fell over the edge with one more thrust. 

When their breathing had slowed, Fred summoned the last of his strength, held onto his wife, and stumbled backward until the back of his calves hit the sofa. He was about to sit down when Hermione mumbled, “I really don’t feel like trying to get cum stains off the couch tomorrow.”

“Floor?”

“Go for it.”

Fred gingerly guided himself to the floor and let out a long sigh, letting his head fall back against the couch. Hermione hummed with contentment and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. 

“How’s that for ‘old bones’?” Fred reached up and unclipped Hermione’s hair so he could run his fingers through her curls. “I think I’m still quite virile.”

“Yes, you’re a majestic sex stallion.” Hermione sat up and kissed him, twirling her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. “What room is next on your debauched house tour?”

Fred let out a whimper, making Hermione laugh. “How about a nice, hot soak in the tub?” he suggested.

“That does sound nice. It’s not because you’re feeling sore though, right?”

“Of course not!”

“Because you did promise me every room.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You do remember how many rooms we have, right?”

“Yeah...how about we go with our favorite three? Even majestic sex stallions need sleep.”

“Deal,” Hermione agreed and rolled off his lap. Fred slowly rose to his feet and offered his hand to help Hermione up. “You go ahead. I like the view from behind,” she said with a wink.

“Minx.” He smirked and sauntered towards the stairs.

“And I like bubbles in my bath!” she called after him.

* * *

August 2028

“Ella! Are you almost ready?” Hermione called up the steps.

“Yes, Mum! I’ll be down in a few minutes!”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her middle daughter’s snippy response. Reminding herself to pick her battles with the teenager, she let out a sigh and went back to the kitchen. Her youngest daughter, Sabrina, was sitting at the kitchen table. Her chestnut curls were bouncing as her head bobbed along to music from the radio. Her Hogwarts trunk was at her side and the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History was open in front of her.

Sabrina Lee was a mini Hermione in just about every way- her looks, her love of learning, her need for everything to be fair and just. In true Weasley fashion, though, she had inherited Fred’s love for mischief and pranks. Her and her cousin, Lilah, were fixtures in the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shops. They were their fathers' shadows, eager to learn all the tricks of the trade.

“Mum.”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“What house was Eliza sorted into?”

“Ravenclaw,” Hermione answered, glancing at the clock. They needed to be at the train station in twenty-five minutes. Fred still wasn’t home and Ella was still locked in her room. She was already completely exhausted and still had an afternoon of meetings to get through.

“And Hugo was in Gryffindor?”

“Yes,” Hermione looked back to her daughter and smiled. “Are you worried about where you’ll be sorted?”

“No. As long as I’m in the same house as Lilah I’m happy. And we have a plan so it should be good.” Sabrina went back to reading, ignoring Hermione’s raised eyebrows.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of plan?” _ ‘Please don’t let it involve Skiving Snack boxes,’ _she silently pleaded.

“Dad and Uncle Harry were telling us how the sorting worked because Uncle Ron and George were trying to scare us, saying we had to fight a dragon.”

“Of course they were,” Hermione muttered.

“They said you get sorted alphabetically, which means Lilah will go before me,” Sabrina continued as she turned a page in the book. “Uncle Harry said the hat will take your choice into consideration so I’m just going to make the hat put me in whatever house Lilah goes to.”

“I have a feeling I know where it’ll send you girls,” Hermione said, chuckling as she thought of all the green and silver stuff she’d be washing over the holidays. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the floo.

“Sorry,” Fred said breathlessly, kissing Hermione’s cheek. “Garret didn’t show up for his shift and left Madeline filling a large order that was supposed to have been packaged last night. I couldn’t just leave her to sort that _ and _ work the floor so I had to floo around for someone to fill in the shift, find Garret, fire Garret, and then I helped pack up the order.” Fred sighed and looked over at Sabrina with a grin. “I made it though! Couldn’t miss the start of our little girl’s Hogwarts career.”

“Hi Daddy,” Sabrina greeted. She closed her book and carefully placed it in her bag. “Can we go now? I wanna make sure I get to sit with Lilah on the train.”

“As soon as your father drags your sister out of her room.” She gave Fred a pointed look and added, “Tell her if it isn’t packed then it obviously isn’t important.”

“On it.” Fred planted a kiss on Sabrina’s head and hurried to the stairs.

“Mum, how scary was the Basilisk?”

“I never actually saw it, sweetheart,” Hermione answered, summoning her purse and rifling through its contents. She could have sworn she had a Wideye potion in there. Unless the one she had yesterday to help her get through legislation reading was her last one. Fuck...her memory was going down the toilet lately. She desperately needed a day off to let her mind repair and reset. Giving up on her useless search, Hermione sighed and clasped her purse. “If its bones were any indication then I would say it was very scary. Uncle Harry or Aunt Ginny could tell you more about it.” Hermione paused for a moment and finally looked up at her daughter, her brain finally registering what they were talking about. “Is that in Hogwarts: A History?”

“Of course,” Sabrina said, jumping off her chair and slinging her bag over her shoulder. “There's a whole chapter on the Heir of Slytherin and his monster. Do you think I’d be able to--”

“Not a chance, Sabrina Weasely. I know for a fact that the chamber was destroyed and sealed up after the final battle and you are not to go asking around about it. Understood?” 

“Yes, Mum,” Sabrina said with a huff. 

Hermione took a breath and massaged her temples. The last thing she needed was a letter from the Headmaster informing her that her youngest was sentenced to eternal detentions for trying to find the corpse of a madman’s monster.

“Good. Now, do you have all of your stuff ready?”

“Yes, Mum.” Another huff.

A door slammed upstairs, making Hermione grimace. It seemed as though Ella was finally ready, too.

“I kept some bacon sandwiches warm for you,” Hermione said as her middle daughter stalked into the kitchen. Fred followed with her trunk levitating in front of him, a look of resigned irritation on his face. 

“I don’t want a bacon sandwich,” Ella muttered. She summoned a granola bar from the pantry, yanked the fridge door open, and grabbed a bottle of Pumpkin Juice. “Can we go now?” she huffed, slamming the door closed.

“Cedrella Jean,” Fred started, his voice full of warning.

“Don’t call me that!” Ella shrieked. With a frustrated cry, she spun and disapparated with a crack.

“Did you see what she was wearing?” Fred cried, motioning to the spot their daughter had been occupying.

Hermione ran a hand over her face and groaned. “She was wearing a skirt and blouse.”

“The skirt was way too short and the blouse was extremely low-cut,” Fred insisted.

“She’s trying to look hot for Brandon. Can I have her bacon sandwiches?” Sabrina asked, eyeing the plate Hermione had under a warming charm.

“Who’s Brandon?” Fred asked, passing a sandwich to Sabrina and taking a bite from the other.

“Some cute Hufflepuff she’s in love with.”

“Fucking Hufflepuffs,” Fred gritted.

“Fred!” Hermione cried. “For the love of Merlin, calm down. She’s seventeen and has a crush on a boy! I know exactly what you were like at that age and Ella wearing a short skirt is quite tame in comparison.”

“What do you mean? I was a perfect gentleman at that age.

Hermione snorted and said, “Do the words ‘Veela cousins’ ring a distant bell?”

Fred scowled. “I love you, Granger, but sometimes I really don’t like you. Or skirts. Or Hufflepuffs.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go, shall we? I don’t feel like flooing all the way to Scotland because we missed the train.”

Fred continued muttering under his breath as he took Ella’s trunk through the floo. Sabrina skipped ahead of Hermione and disappeared into the green flames. Hermione waved her wand, levitating Sabrina’s trunk and taking it through the floo with her. 

When she stepped onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and her stomach stopped rolling, Hermione glanced around and spotted Fred loading Ella’s trunk onto the scarlet steam engine, so she sent Sabrina’s gliding over to join him. Standing a good distance to his right was Ella, chatting and laughing with her two best friends, Penelope and Samantha.

If there was ever a Weasley that stood out in the family it was Cedrella Jean Weasley, and not just because of the unusual name that she despised. Ella was tall, with long blonde curls and grey, bordering on silver, eyes. It seemed as though some of the Black blood had held on through the generations of Weasleys.

Hermione and Ella used to get along quite well. Ella shared Arthur’s fascination with the Muggle world so she loved hanging out in his workshop, visiting with Hermione’s parents, and browsing Muggle shops with Hermione. When Hermione started campaigning for the Minister position, her relationship with Ella slowly became strained. She knew it was natural for rifts to occur between parents and children in the teenage years, but Hermione found herself desperately missing the closeness the two had and she'd been trying desperately to get it back over the summer. Unfortunately, Ella was sensitive and quick to take offense so the attempts usually ended in a fight.

Making sure Sabrina was with Lilah, Hermione cautiously approached Ella. She stood a few feet back and when she finally caught her daughter’s eye, waved her over. Ella frowned but broke from her pack and came to stand in front of Hermione.

“You ready for your final year?” She reached up to fix a rogue curl but Ella dodged the gesture.

“I guess so,” she muttered, adjusting her shoulder bag.

Hermione sighed and gave Ella a smile. “Your father can be an idiot at times, you know?”

“Understatement.”

“Yes, but he means well. Sometimes he just gets overprotective of you girls. He did the same with Eliza.” Testing her luck, Hermione reached out and took Ella’s hand. To her surprise, Ella didn’t pull away. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Mum. I should trust Grandma Molly more often. Apparently purple doesn’t look horrible on me,” Ella said, looking down at her shirt.

“Grandma Molly usually knows what she’s talking about,” Hermione laughed. The train whistle blew, giving the students and their parents a ten-minute warning. “I have to go check on Bree and make sure she hasn’t smuggled any contraband into her bag.” She reached up and gave her daughter a tight hug. “Keep an eye on her, okay? I have a feeling she’s not going to be in Gryffindor with you.”

“Really? You think?” Ella said with a sarcastic laugh. “I’ll do my best to keep her out of detention but I honestly think she’s spent too much time with Dad and Uncle George for her to make it through the year entirely detention free.”

“Yeah, I know. Also, start thinking about what you want to do for your birthday. We’ll celebrate however you want when you’re home for the holidays.”

“Love you, Mum,” Ella said, giving Hermione one last hug. “I’m gonna go find Dad.”

With a full heart, Hermione maneuvered her way through the crowd of people, looking for Sabrina. 

“Oi! Minister!”

Before Hermione could look for the owner of the voice, she was pulled to the side and into the chest of her grinning brother-in-law.

“Our girls are ready to fly the nest,” George said, motioning to Sabrina and Lilah. The two girls were beaming and practically vibrating where they stood. “Their bags have been searched and all contraband has been confiscated.”

Hermione gave her youngest a wary look and Sabrina rolled her eyes. “It was just a couple of dung bombs, Mum.”

“And?” Angelina prompted, looking at her own daughter.

“Fainting Fancies,” Lilah muttered, looking at the ground.

“Please try to stay out of trouble for at least the first week,” Hermione pleaded, gathering Sabrina in her arms. “And make sure you write to us tonight or tomorrow. Let us know what house you’ve been sorted into.”

“Okay, okay,” Sabrina said, muffled by Hermione’s hug. “Can we go now?”

Hermione let her daughter go only for her to be scooped up by Fred.

“You behave yourself, Bree Lee,” he said, dangling her over his shoulder.

“Dad! Put me down!” Sabrina squealed, smacking his back.

Fred did as she requested, kissing her cheek as he set her back on the ground. “I don’t want to find a Hogwarts toilet seat in the post.”

“Why would I send you a toilet seat?” Sabrina asked, readjusting her bag and giving her father a disgusted look.

“Inspiration catches you in weird and wonderful ways,” George said wistfully. 

“Right, let’s stop giving them ideas.” Hermione kissed Sabrina’s cheek. “Get going now so you get a carriage together.”

Sabrina and Lilah waved before hurrying to the Hogwarts Express and climbing aboard. Within a minute they were both hanging out a window, frantically waving as their parents waved back and shouted “Bye!” and “Love you!” Hermione actually caught sight of Ella giving them a tiny wave from her carriage as the train slowly pulled away.

“Wow,” Angelina sighed, watching the train turn a corner and disappear. “I can’t believe how quickly they’ve all grown up.”

“Now the real fun can commence,” Fred said, throwing his arm around Hermione’s shoulders. His smile faltered when he looked down at Hermione and saw her sniffling, with tears running down her cheeks. “What’s wrong, love? You haven’t been this emotional since we sent the twins off for their first year.”

“It’s just that Sabrina is our last one and it’s Ella’s last year.” She dug a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes. “Oh, I’m just all over the place at the moment. I feel so tired and rundown. I need to grab a Wideye potion so I can get through my meetings and then come home and collapse.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” Fred kissed the top of her head and they said good-bye to George and Ang before apparating away.

* * *

  
  


Fred was just about to set up the nighttime security wards when the family owl, Pudge, landed on his outside perch and pecked at the kitchen window. He barely had the letter off of the bird’s leg before it took flight again, disappearing into the night sky. When he saw the tidy script on the front, addressing the letter to ‘Mum and Dad’, he grinned. After quickly finishing the wards, he bounded up the steps, eager to find out which house Sabrina had been sorted into.

It had become a tradition with him and Hermione to bet on which house their kids were sorted into. The winner got to pick the next three films they would see at the cinema. Hermione only ever got one wrong (she thought Ella would be in Hufflepuff), but Fred was pretty confident that his little firecracker was currently snuggled under red and gold.

“Letter from Bree,” Fred announced, striding into the bedroom. Hermione poked her head out of the bathroom, a ring of toothpaste foam around her mouth. “Time to place your final bets. Still think Ravenclaw?”

Hermione ducked back through the door and he heard her spit, gargle, and spit again before reappearing. 

“No, I don’t actually,” she said, taking off her silk robe, revealing a tank top and threadbare gym shorts. “I believe we have our first Slytherin.”

Fred scoffed and looked at his wife, waiting for the ‘just kidding!’. When she said nothing, he shook his head. “No, my sweet little girl did not get sorted into the snake pit. She’s obviously a Gryffindor.”

“Did you know your sweet little girl and George’s sweet little girl had a sorting pact?” Hermione asked, turning down the covers and settling into her side. She grabbed the nail file from her side table and set to work on her bedtime routine- file, lotion, and brush before popping in her nightguard.

“What sort of pact?” Fred pulled off his trousers and tossed them aside. He swapped out his Oxford for an old Harpies tee and settled into bed beside Hermione.

“Just read the letter and you’ll see.”

He opened the envelope and unfolded Sabrina’s letter.”

“Dear Mum and Dad. It worked! Lilah and I were both sorted into Sss--bugger and blast, you’re right,” he groaned and then finished, “both sorted into Slytherin.”

“I hate to say I told you so,” Hermione said with a sing-song tone.

Fred looked at her expectantly but she never glanced up from her filing. “Well? Go on, say it.”

Hermione finally looked up with an innocent look. “I just said I hate to say it.”

“You bloody well don’t,” Fred muttered as she attempted to hide her smirk. He read through the rest of the letter before summing it up for Hermione. “She says the feast went well and she got to see Nev but it’s going to be weird calling him Professor Longbottom. Ella actually spoke to her, congratulated her on her sorting. She swears she saw a House Elf in the dungeons and is insisting that she needs to have a familiar, preferably a cat.”

“At least she made it through the night without landing in detention.” Hermione placed her brush back in the drawer, snuggled down under the duvet, and turned to face Fred. “I think I finally figured out what’s wrong with me.”

Fred laid down beside her, frowning. “I wasn’t aware there _ was _ something wrong with you.”

“Well, it’s not exactly wrong. But you know how I’ve been really run down and exhausted, plus a bit emotionally unstable and absentminded lately?”

“Yes. I thought you said that was from work stress?”

“I think it partially is. But today I went over my menses cycle of the last year and noticed that they haven’t been quite so regular. I called my mother and it seems early menopause runs in our family. I believe that’s what’s starting for me.” 

“What do you mean, menopause?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean? Menopause, Fred. When a woman is no longer deemed a ‘spring chicken’. I’m turning into an old hen.”

“Oh,” Fred said, finally cottoning on. “Mum always called it ‘the change of life’.”

“Yes, well, I’m pretty sure I’m hitting that change. Please consider this a pre-apology for whatever I may put you through as I age out of my prime years.”

“Please!” Fred laughed, giving her a quick kiss. “You have plenty of good years left. At least two or three. Maybe five, even.”

“Fred Weasley, you’re horrible!” she cried, giving his shoulder a shove. 

He caught her hand and pulled her against him. “But you love me anyway.” He kissed her again, lingering a little longer this time. “You are timeless, Ms. Granger-Weasley. All your years are prime years. But if you think you’re going through this change then it’s probably a good idea to talk to a healer about it.”

“Already made an appointment for next week. Unlike you, I don’t wait for things to get worse before going to a professional.” Fred stuck his tongue out at her but she just laughed. “Speaking of, how has that pinched nerve been?”

“About the same. A nice rub might loosen it up,” he said, arching an eyebrow.

“So subtle, Mr. Weasley.”

“It is what I’m best known for.”


	2. Chapter 2

October 2028

Was there a reason that GPs’ offices were always just touch above freezing? The thin, backless gowns certainly didn’t help matters but one would think, given that fact, that they could turn the heat up a degree or two.

Hermione let herself fall backward, resting her head against the flat, hygienically paper-encase pillow. Her doctor was behind schedule and she had been left sitting for twenty minutes after a young nurse had taken her vitals. Plenty of time for Hermione to wallow in misery over the weight she had gained the past year.

“Hello, Hermione! So sorry to keep you waiting.” Hermione sat up as Doctor Patricia LaMonte entered the room. “I hope I’m not keeping you from anything too important back at the Ministry.”

Hermione smiled and shook her head. “It’s really no problem, Doctor LaMonte. Nice to see you again.”

“How is the family?” the doctor asked, reading over the latest additions to Hermione’s chart. 

Patricia was about the same age as Hermione and also a Muggleborn witch. After her magical education at Hogwarts, Patricia studied both Muggle medicine and magical healing, allowing her to see both magical and non-magical individuals at her practice. Hermione had been seeing her since she first opened her facility, just after Eliza and Hugo turned one.

After a quick update on Fred and the kids, Patricia started going over the symptoms Hermione had been experiencing. In the end, she was sitting on her rolling stool, smirking at Hermione. 

“I believe I’m going to need you to pee in a cup, Minister,” Doctor LaMonte said, handing Hermione a sterile plastic container. “Please,” she added with a grin.

Caught off guard by the request, Hermione narrowed her eyes before catching the doctor’s train of thought and scoffing. “No, that can’t be it. There’s no way that’s possible!”

“Have you and Fred been using any form of contraception?”

“No, but we shouldn’t need to. I went through surgery after Sabrina was born to have my tubes tied.” Hermione shook her head and tried to hand the container back. “There has to be another explanation.”

“Who performed your surgery, if you don’t mind my asking?” Doctor Lamonte flipped back through Hermione’s file. “I don’t see any mention of it in this medical history.”

“It was a Muggle OB/GYN. Does it make a difference?”

“Oh, very much so. He or she obviously didn’t know that procedures like those in witches and wizards are essentially useless. Your magic allows your body to heal in ways that Muggles cannot. After undergoing your surgery, your body went about healing itself back to its’ proper condition.” She frowned and looked up from the file and into Hermione’s worried eyes. “I’m sorry that when we got the notice that it was never properly recorded or I would have let you know right away. How long ago was this?”

“Eleven years,” Hermione whispered, her hands shaking so much the container flew from her grasp and bounced off the window. 

“Let’s get a sample and see, okay?” Doctor LaMonte said, gently placing another container in Hermione’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It very well could be something else but let’s make sure we cover all our bases.”

Hermione gave a slight nod of her head, somehow managed to get to her feet, and shuffled to the bathroom. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way on Merlin’s green earth that she was pregnant again! It had to be something else. Anything else…

Back in the frigid room, Hermione paced back and forth. Barefoot and backless gown flapping, she didn’t care. Doctor LaMonte was testing the sample herself and Hermione was praying to any and all of the gods that it came back negative. When Patricia knocked and slipped back in with a sad smile, Hermione’s heart plummeted to her stomach and the sick feeling she felt was in no way related to this new discovery.

“I need to go find Fred.”

* * *

The search didn’t last long. She found Fred at the Diagon Alley Wheezes shop, with George and their newest hire, Geoffrey. 

“Hey, Min. How did your appointment go?” Fred asked. He came around the counter to give her a kiss.

“Can we go upstairs and talk?” Hermione asked, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Sure,” he said, brow furrowing. “I’ll be back in a few, George,” he called and then led Hermione through the back and up to the small apartment above the shop.

No one lived in the apartment anymore. The most frequent visitor was James when he was home for an extended amount of time between Quidditch seasons, but it also was used as a safe place to sleep off a night of drinking or when someone was on the outs with their spouse. Most recently it had seen Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy bouncing in and out as they got used to married life. Mercifully, when Hermione and Fred entered, it was unoccupied. 

As soon as the door was shut, Fred threw up silencing spells and turned back to Hermione, grabbing both of her hands in his. “What’s going on? What did the doctor say? Is something wrong? You’re not dying, are you?”

“Fred! Shut up!” Hermione cried. She pulled away from his grasp and sat down on the worn sofa that had been there since before Fred moved out. “I’m not dying and nothing is wrong.” She closed her eyes and let out a frustrated cry. “Well, technically everything is wrong, but healthwise I’m fine.”

“Then what is it?” He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Did something happen with the kids? Did Sabrina finally get detention?”

Hermione looked at her husband, his brown eyes searching hers for a hint of what she was about to drop on him. Without sugarcoating the news, she simply said, “It’s not menopause. I’m pregnant.”

Several moments went by where Fred’s face was frozen and he said nothing before a manic grin spread and he started laughing. “You almost had me there, Hermione! I’m supposed the be the jokester of this pairing.”

“Not joking, Fred.”

“Of course you are!” He laughed again but abruptly stopped when Hermione didn’t join in. “You certainly can’t be serious? I thought you took measures to make sure that wouldn’t happen after our surprise with Sabrina?”

“I thought I had too,” Hermione sighed before launching into the explanation that Doctor LaMonte had given her only an hour prior. 

“This can’t be happening,” Fred growled, stalking off to the kitchen. He slammed his fist down on the counter. “You just had to go through childbirth the Muggle way!”

Hermione bolted off the couch and strode across to square off against her husband. “You seriously aren’t trying to put the blame on me for this, are you? Because I don’t need a Pensieve to remember that there were two of us that created this situation, Mr. Every-Room!”

“So it’s my fault for wanting to make love to my wife after barely seeing her for Circe knows how many months? You should’ve checked with a proper healer before going through that pointless procedure that we put all our faith in!”

Hermione could feel the magic surging through her fingertips, even with her wand still in her purse. It would be so easy to hex him right here and now…

“You know what? Sod it. I’m too tired to fight. When your sense of reasoning kicks in, come find me.” Hermione spun on her heel and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her. 

* * *

  
  


“What was that all about?” George asked when Fred had finally returned to the shop. Fred didn’t reply. He stalked past the counter and out the front door.

He knew she was long gone but that still didn’t stop him from calling out her name to the crowd of shoppers. When he returned to the shop, George was alone. Fred flipped the sign to CLOSED and locked the door. 

“Hermione left, mate. Flew out of here faster than a Snitch. What happened?”

“She’s pregnant. That’s what happened,” Fred spat, kicking a stool. George jumped back and gave him a look of warning. “You don’t get to look at me like that. I’m too old to go through this again. I’m fifty fucking years old!”

“Yet you’re acting like an immature teenager who’s underage girlfriend is up the duff. Bloody hell, Fred. Get your shit together.” He pushed passed Fred and went to take stock of the inventory on the floor. 

“This was supposed to be the start of Hermione and I getting back to us! We finally got all the kids off to school and had time for just the two of us.”

“Obviously you had some time before school started, too,” George called from behind a shelf. 

“George, I’m being serious here. What the hell am I going to do?”

George reappeared, his eyes blazing. “What do you mean, you tosser? You’re going to pull your head out of your arse and go find your wife. You’re going to apologize for being an insensitive shit and,  _ if _ she forgives you, talk to her about what she wants. Fucking hell, mate. Did you actually ask her how she feels about it all or just start whinging about how hard it was for you?” 

Fred didn’t answer and looked down at his hands.

“That’s what I thought. Prat.” George finally approached him and Fred chanced a look at his brother. George’s face had softened from rage to annoyance. “I have a feeling Min isn’t too pleased about the situation either, but you guys have options. Go talk to her and have a proper discussion.”

Fred nodded and pushed himself away from the counter. As he walked around to the front, he caught Geoffrey peeking from behind the stockroom curtain. “It’s safe. Sorry you had to hear that.” He turned back to George and said, “Keep the news to yourself for now, would ya? Please?”

“Lock and key, mate,” George replied, waving him off.

At the floo, Fred tossed in a pinch of powder, calling out, “The Otter’s Den”. He stepped in and was whisked away. When he emerged in the sitting room, the house was quiet. The lamps were lit and Hermione’s purse was on the kitchen island, though, so he knew his wife was there.

“Hermione?” 

Fred went room to room but she wasn’t anywhere within the house. Back in the kitchen, he glanced out the window above the sink and saw a faint blue light in the distance. There was a multitude of explanations for what the light could have been but Fred knew it was a jar of Bluebell Flames. He grabbed his jacket and made his way to his wife’s favorite spot alongside the river.

When their house was built, Fred and Hermione chose a location that was a short walking distance to his parents’ house, yet still secluded enough to give them privacy. The plot of land they chose was southeast of The Burrow, along the River Otter. The rippling water provided endless entertainment for the kids during the day and a peaceful, nighttime soundscape when it came time to wind down and relax. It didn’t take long for Hermione to stake out a favorite spot by the water and, after carving their initials into the large oak tree like lovesick teens, they placed a bench underneath its’ cool shade. 

That’s where Fred found Hermione. She was wrapped up in a knitted cardigan, staring out over the river as the fading autumn sunshine glinted off the water.

“Hey,” Fred said, tentatively lowering himself onto the bench beside her. When she didn’t send his arse flying into the river, he let himself settle back against the weather-beaten wood. “I’m sorry.”

Hermione didn’t look at him when she replied, “I’m not exactly overjoyed about this either, you know?”

“I know. And I was a complete prick for reacting how I did.” He reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze and said, “I love you.”

Hermione returned the gesture and said, “I love you, too.” The muttering of ‘twat’ underneath her breath did not go unnoticed, but it made Fred smirk.

The pair sat in silence, listening to the flow of the river as dusk’s arrival painted the skies with pink and purple hues.

“I don’t know what to do,” Hermione finally said. She looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes.

“Whatever you want to do, I’m behind you, one-hundred percent.” Fred scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Leaning down, he nuzzled her curls before kissing her head.

“There was a good minute or two, after I left the doctor’s, that I thought about how easy it would be to just go into the city and ‘take care’ of it,” Hermione admitted with a sob and buried her face in his shoulder. “How horrible does that make me?”

“It doesn’t make you horrible at all. Not in the least bit.” Fred ran his hand over her hair, trying to soothe her body and conscience. “I know it’s not a pleasant thought but it is an option, and no one would think less of you for choosing that path.”

“I can name a few,” she cried, her voice muffled by his jacket. 

He pulled back so he could look into her eyes, glistening with tears. “No one who matters would care.”

Hermione didn’t say anything but nodded and snuggled back against his side. Silence fell over them again. With the new moon, the only light came from the stars and Hermione’s Bluebell Flames. Fred looked up and found a few of the constellations that he still remembered from Astronomy class. Ella was always the one pointing out every star and constellation to him. From the moment Hermione showed her the Big Dipper, his middle daughter continuously had her eyes to the sky.

“Do you remember Sabrina’s first bout of accidental magic?” Hermione asked, pulling Fred’s attention back to Earth.

“You mean the time she channeled that Muggle Jesus guy and walked across the river?” Fred snorted and nodded his head. “Vividly.”

“You freaked out and went running after her, promptly falling into the freezing water.” She giggled and sighed. “Then, to add insult to injury, she stepped on your head as you came up and she was making her way back to the bank.”

“No one can call that girl boring.”

The river babbled along as the crickets and owls started up their twilight symphony. 

“Think we can go through all that again?” Hermione whispered.

Fred’s mind was whirring with what that entailed. Diapers and bottles. Crying and no sleep. Prams and car seats. Endless amounts of spit up and laundry. He was already exhausted just thinking about it all. But then his mind went to the awe-inspiring moments when he saw Hugo and Eliza for the first time. And how he was the recipient of Ella’s first smile. And how excited Sabrina was when she took her first step, that instantly turned into a run. He realized how much he missed the new baby smell that surrounded him as he would rock them to sleep.

“Of course we can.”

* * *

  
  


“Ella!”

Ella Weasley glanced up from her Astronomy book to see her little sister careening towards her. She was grinning and waving a piece of parchment over her head. 

“What has you so cheerful this morning?” Ella asked, marking her page and closing the book. 

“Headmaster Flitwick just came and told me I get to go into Hogsmeade with you today!” Sabrina squealed. She clutched the parchment with both hands and did a little dance between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw benches. 

“What? Why? First and Second years have never been allowed to go to the village.” A multitude of screeches sent the sisters’ gazes upwards as the owls soared in with the morning post. A brown great horned owl dropped the latest Daily Prophet on her best friend Samantha’s head as her family’s owl dropped an envelope in her porridge bowl. “Pudge,” Ella groaned through gritted teeth. 

“Mum and Dad are coming for a visit and want to see both of us in Hogsmeade,” Sabrina explained. Pudge swooped down and landed on Sabrina’s shoulder, letting out a pitiful hoot. “Are you hungry Pudgey-Wudgey?” She pulled an owl treat from her trouser pocket and Pudge quickly nipped it from her fingers.

“Do you always walk around with a pocket full of owl treats?” Ella asked.

“You never know when you’ll need to thank an owl,” Sabrina answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. She watched Pudge fly away and Ella turned back to retrieve her soggy letter. 

The letter was from her parents, letting her know that they would be coming to Hogsmeade that afternoon and wanted the girls to meet them for lunch at The Three Broomsticks. 

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Sabrina bounced on tip-toes, her curls springing up behind her. 

“Alright, Bree. Hang on.” Ella gulped down the rest of her lukewarm tea and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “We can’t leave for another hour. I need to go get ready and then I’ll meet you in the front hall, okay?”

“Fine,” Sabrina said with a dramatic sigh, then flounced back to the Slytherin table.

Ella shook her head and left the Great Hall for the staircase to start the trek up to Gryffindor tower. She took a bite of her apple, wondering why her parents were coming to Hogsmeade. It wasn’t an unusual event but it also wasn’t something they made a habit of. Both of them were good about giving their kids independence and not checking in on them constantly while school was in session.

Halfway up the first set of stairs, Ella was stopped by someone calling her name. When she turned around and saw who it was, she gasped and subsequently started choking on her apple.

In two seconds Brandon Hastings was by her side, shouting, “_Anapneo_!” The chunk of fruit dislodged from her throat and flew down the steps, leaving Ella breathing heavy and leaning against the railing for support.

“Are you okay?” Brandon asked, leaning down to look at Ella’s face.

“Yeah, great. Fine!” She let out a forced laugh and hoped that Brandon thought her red face was from having nearly died and not because she had fancied him since the moment she saw him climb onto the stool for sorting seven years ago. “Thanks for the save.”

“Ahh, no problem. You’re my third today.”

“Really?”

“No, not really. I was just trying to be funny. Not that choking to death is funny! I’m just...yeah...” Brandon let out an awkward laugh and ran a hand through his blonde hair. 

The pair stood in nervous silence, exchanging small smiles, until Ella gestured upwards and said, “I was on my way to get ready for the day in Hogsmeade.”

“Oh, yeah, Hogsmeade. That’s what I came to talk to you about.” Brandon ran his hand through his hair again and shuffled his feet. “So, I have to finish an Ancient Runes assignment this morning but I was wondering if maybe you would like to meet up for lunch?”

Ella wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry at the timing. Of all days for her parents to come for a visit! Ugh! She didn’t have to stay for that long, did she? It wasn’t like they hadn't seen each other a few weeks earlier. She’d stop by the Three Broomsticks, drink a Butterbeer, give them a quick update, and then go meet up with Brandon. Sabrina was free to stay as long as she wanted and Mum and Dad could take her back to the castle.

“Ella?”

Breaking away from her mental planning, Ella gave her head a slight shake and said, “Yes, that sounds nice. I have to meet my parents but that won’t take too long.”

“Really? Great! How about twelve-thirty, outside the Three Broomsticks?”

Ella’s eyes went wide and she vigorously shook her head. Brandon had finally taken notice of her and the last thing she wanted was for him to meet her parents and run away screaming.

“How about the Hog’s Head?” Ella suggested.

“I take it your parents will be at the Broomsticks?” Brandon said with a laugh and Ella nodded. “Um, sure, okay. I haven’t been in there since they fixed it up. But you know, I have met your dad before?’

“Yes, but you met him as a customer. This is...different.”

“Right. Well, I’ll see you down in the village then,” Brandon said, with a wave, and then headed back down the stairs towards the Hufflepuff dormitories. 

* * *

  
  


“Come on, come on, come on!” Sabrina called, skipping several meters ahead of Ella as they traveled down the path that led to Hogsmeade.

Ella rolled her eyes but didn’t increase her pace. She understood her sister’s excitement. She remembered feeling the same way in her third year as she rushed down the path with Penelope and Samantha, coins clanging in their pockets, ready to be spent on candy and trinkets.

Today, though, Ella was content to enjoy the walk. The autumn air was crisp and just cool enough that her favorite sweater was comfortable and not unbearably warm. Her Grandma Molly had knitted it for her last Christmas. It was a vivid red with thin strands of shimmering gold woven in. As with all the sweaters she knitted, Grandma Molly had charmed it so that the wool wasn’t itchy and irritable but felt soft and silky against her skin.

“Can we go see if Uncle George is working?” Sabrina asked, now walking backward down the path so she could see Ella.

“We can, but I doubt he’s there. You know he and Dad don’t work weekends unless there’s an emergency.”

“Maybe there’s an emergency.” Sabrina spun back around and skipped ahead to the front gates of the castle. Ella figured it was pointless to argue that if there was an emergency then Dad wouldn’t be meeting them for lunch.

Once they reached the village, Sabrina made a beeline for Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and barged in like she was the true owner of the shop. They chatted with a few employees they knew but didn’t stay very long as the place was quickly filling up with other students. Ella had to practically drag her sister out of the shop when Sabrina insisted she needed to go back and inspect the inventory. She wasn’t about to get in trouble because her little sister nicked a bunch of contraband and snuck it back to the castle. 

The next hour or so was spent wandering the various shops to stock up on parchment, overload their pockets with sweets, and browse through the bookstore. One thing her and Sabrina had in common was their love of books. The two could easily, and often did, get lost in a bookshop for hours on end. They loved second-hand shops the most, always eager to forage through shelves that were full of forgotten or hard to find stories. 

After paying for her books, Ella found Sabrina tucked in a corner with her head in a Muggle romance book.

“Mum isn’t gonna like you reading that,” Ella warned.

Sabrina looked up with her face contorted in disgust. “Is this what you want to do with Brandon?” she cried in disbelief.

Ella felt like her face was on fire as she hissed, “Give me that!” and snatched the book from Sabrina. She shoved it to the back of a shelf.

“Aunt Ginny loves those book but I don’t get it.”

“Good! You’re still too young to ‘get it’,” Ella gritted, linking her arm with Sabrina’s and half leading, half hauling her out of the store.

Their parents were waiting for them outside The Three Broomsticks and a small crowd had amassed around her mother. As if being a famous war heroine wasn’t enough, Hermione Granger-Weasley was now Minister for Magic and couldn’t go anywhere without getting stopped at least a dozen times.

Ella was proud of her Mum. Really, she was. Throughout her seventeen years, Ella had heard all about the things her Mum and Uncles Harry and Ron had gone through. She knew Hermione poured her heart and soul into everything she did and worked hard for every accomplishment. There wasn’t another witch or wizard who had done so much for Wizarding Britain, with the exception of her Uncle Harry and he’s always the first to ensure that everyone knows he couldn’t have done any of it without her Mum by his side.

Yes, Ella was proud and inspired by her mother. Sometimes she just wished her family was a little less famous.

“Ella! Bree!” 

Her dad was waving at them over the heads of their mum’s admirers. Hermione looked over when he gave her a nudge and she smiled as the girls approached. 

“It was lovely getting to talk to everyone but if you’ll excuse me, please, my daughters have just arrived.” Hermione smiled at the group and then stepped around them to wrap Ella and Sabrina in a hug. “We’ve missed you! How has your term been so far?”

“Great!” Sabrina chirped. “Lilah and I are going to join the Gobstones club. The first meeting is tomorrow afternoon.” She continued chatting away as Hermione led them through the inn and into a private backroom. 

“How about you, Sunshine?”

Ella grimaced as her dad ruffled her hair. Attempting to smooth it back into place, she answered, “It’s been okay. The professors aren’t wasting any time stressing the importance of our N.E.W.Ts.”

Fred chuckled in agreement. “They just want to make sure you’re ready. The year will go quicker than you think. I hear those tests are brutal.”

“You hear? Didn’t you take them, Daddy?” Sabrina asked, taking a seat next to her mum.

“Halfway through their seventh year, your father and Uncle George felt they had, what was it, love? Outgrown full-time education?” Hermione said with a cheeky grin.

“Sounds about right,” her dad laughed as he picked up his menu. “Ooh, Rosey’s got cottage pie today.”

When Madame Rosmerta came in to take their order, Ella just ordered a Butterbeer. Her mother gave her a bemused look and asked, “Are you feeling okay, sweetheart? You really should eat something.”

“I’m fine,” Ella reassured. She hesitated for a moment and then said, “I was actually hoping to leave a little early so I could meet a friend for lunch.”

“It’s not a friend. It’s a boy!” Sabrina said, drawing out ‘boy’ in a singsong, teasing voice.

“Shut up, Sabrina. No one asked you,” Ella gritted.

“Don’t tell your sister to shut up,” Hermione scolded at the same time Fred narrowed his eyes and asked, “Is it that Brandon kid?”

Ella groaned and let her head thud on the table as Sabrina grinned and nodded. 

“He’s not a kid, Dad. And neither am I,” Ella said defensively, looking up as Madame Rosmerta brought their drinks. “But yes, it is Brandon. He’s a very nice guy that asked me to have lunch with him today.”

“Of course you can leave early,” her mom said, shooting her dad a look before he could reply. “We just wanted to see you girls and tell you some big news.”

“What sort of big news?” Sabrina asked, eagerly leaning closer to her mother.

“Yeah, what sort of news? Good news or bad news?” Ella said skeptically, sipping her Butterbeer.

“I like to think it’s good news.” Hermione took a breath and smiled. “This spring, we’ll be adding a new member to the family.”

Sabrina squealed and clapped her hands. “Are Teddy and Victoire getting married? Or is someone having a baby? Roxanne? Are Al and Scorp adopting a baby?”

Her parents laughed and shook their heads as Sabrina continued listing off the names of random cousins. Ella sat back in her seat as what felt like a boulder took up residence in her stomach. She knew exactly who was adding a new member to the family and felt angry that her mother was trying to pass it off as ‘good news’.

“Sabrina, shut up!” Ella snapped, startling her sister who let out a gasp and shrunk back into her seat. 

“Cedrella!” Fred shouted, jumping from his chair.

“Don’t call me that!” Ella shouted back.

“I’m your father and I’ll call you whatever the hell I want. Now apologize!”

“Fred!”

Ella and her father turned to look at Hermione. She had launched from her chair and was staring daggers at them both. Ella rarely saw her mother enraged, but when it happened she swore sparks emanated from her fingertips.

“For Godric’s sake, sit down!” Hermione ordered. Her father stayed standing for a moment, almost as if he was weighing the merits of contradicting his wife. In the end, he wisely sat down and Hermione’s shoulders relaxed as she let out a breath. “Ella-”

“No, Mum!” It was Ella’s turn to jump up. Sabrina recoiled even further into herself. Ella tried to soften her face and turned to her sister. “Bree, I’m sorry. You did nothing wrong. But you guys!” she shouted at her parents. “How many times have you insisted on giving me ‘the talk’? And policed my wardrobe? Interrogated every boy I talk to? And now you two, who are supposed to be responsible adults, are going to tell me you don’t know how this happened?”

Ella knew she had crossed a line. There was no mistaking the hum coming from her mother. A sudden wind whooshed across the table and extinguished the candles on the chandelier. A few silent beats passed before her father relit the candles and Sabrina scurried from her chair to his lap, snuggling tight against his chest.

Through a barely open mouth, Hermione said in a slow, menacing voice, “I don’t care if you’re seventeen. We are still your parents and you will not speak to us that way. Do you understand?” 

Ella crossed her arms and just stared at her mother. 

“What has gotten into you, young lady?”

Forcing her eyes not to spill the threatening tears, Ella cried, “I don’t know how you can expect me to be happy about getting pushed aside again! You have no idea what it’s like to play second fiddle to your siblings! I can’t compete with the dragon tamer or master potioneer slash healer extraordinaire. I’m not doted on because I’m not the baby of the family. I’m just average Ella who keeps her head down doesn’t cause trouble. Sometimes I feel like I may as well be doxy in the curtains for as much as I’m noticed.” Her facade faltered and tears leaked down her cheeks. “I was hoping this year might be different but it seems, once again, I’m overshadowed.” 

Before either parent could say anything, Ella dashed from the room and out of the pub. Ignoring her father’s pleas to come back, she ran through the village and back up the path that led to Hogwarts. Halfway up the path a stitch in her side got the best of her and she slowed to a walk. Trying to slow her breathing, Ella listened for any sign that her mum or dad followed her but the only sounds were rustling leaves and twittering birds.

“Can’t believe they could be so irresponsible,” she muttered, attempting to massage the cramp away. She kicked a stone and continued her angry muttering as she approached the main doors. When a hand grabbed her arm she jerked it away and directed her angry glare onto the confused face of Brandon.

He held up his hands in defense and took a quick step back.“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you mad. It’s just that I called your name several times and you didn’t answer. I wanted to check if we were still on for lunch?”

Ella let out a sound that was in between a sigh and a sob. “It’s not you. It’s my parents.”

“Need an ear to vent to?”

“I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my problems.”

“Try me.” Brandon smiled and Ella about melted. Why did he have to be so damn cute and charming? “Come on, lunch is on me,” he encouraged, proffering his arm.

“I don’t really want to go back to the village and run into my mum and dad.”

“Mmm, I understand.” He quirked his lips to the side in thought. “You know the phoenix statue by the lake?” Ella nodded. “Head on over and I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” He gave her another beautiful smile before jogging up the stone steps and into the castle.

Ella was left walking to the Black Lake with a melting pot of feelings zooming through her body. She was still hacked off with her parents and upset about being pushed to the side again. But her heart was also thrumming with lovestruck anticipation.

She had been smitten with Brandon Hastings since day one at Hogwarts. He had hazel eyes and sandy blonde hair that he always kept just a smidgeon on the long side. When he was younger, it stuck up all over the place. As he got older, the chaos of his hair had settled into what Ella called ‘stylishly unstyled’. 

As time went on, Ella found out he was more than just cute. He was one of the nicest guys in the castle. Unlike some of the other insensitive tossers she was forced to share a classroom with, Brandon was sweet and helpful. He was smart and always volunteering to help tutor the younger students. 

With each passing year, her crush on him grew but she never said anything to him other than quick hellos when they would pass in the corridors or the few times they crossed paths in the owlery. Once, when she went to find Pudge to send a letter home, Brandon was there and asked how her Saturday was going. It rendered her speechless and felt like an eternity before she was able to squeak out “It’s been...Saturday.” He had nodded and chuckled before giving her a wave and leaving Ella feeling stupid under the judgmental stares of a few barn owls.

Ella reached the phoenix statue and stopped a few feet away to gaze up at the grand bird. The warm colors of the plumage glittered in the afternoon sun, making it seem like millions of tiny gems were raining over the stone. It looked as though the phoenix was taking flight from the marble plinth. Resting on the plinth was a plaque, engraved with the quote ‘We are only as strong as we are united, weak as we are divided.’ - Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore.

The statue had been placed on the grounds exactly one year after the Second Wizarding War ended. Names of the fallen had been etched around the marble and flowers and pictures were scattered around the base, all charmed to withstand the finicky Scottish weather. 

Instinctively Ella walked around to where the names James Potter, Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin were etched. She had been coming here with her family every year to honor family and friends she had never met but felt she knew so intimately. Her mother and aunts would conjure flowers while her dad and uncles would toast the departed with a shot of Firewhiskey. Ella asked about the Firewhiskey once and her Uncle Harry said that his godfather wouldn’t want it any other way.

Crunching leaves drew Ella’s attention away from the statue. Brandon had arrived carrying a picnic basket and blanket. With a wave of his wand the blanket rose, spread out, and then slowly floated down onto the grass. 

“The house-elves were very generous,” Brandon said as he pulled out a plate of sandwiches, a bowl of cut fruit, two covered cups of what appeared to be soup, a couple of packets of Muggle crisps, and an oversized flask.

“When did the elves start stocking crisps?” Ella asked, kneeling down onto the blanket.

“Those are from my own personal stash. My mum is Muggleborn and my grandparents always send me off to school stocked with my favorites.” He ripped open a pack of salt and vinegar, popped one in his mouth, and then offered some to Ella.

“Thank you.” Ella took one as she eyed up the flask. “Is that from your personal stash too?”

“No,” Brandon laughed. He uncapped the flask and steam poured out. “Hot apple cider. Nothing added except a little extra cinnamon. He conjured two mugs, poured the cider, and handed one to Ella. “So, the visit with your parents didn’t go too well?”

“Understatement,” Ella mumbled. She dipped her head over the mug, breathing in the spiced heat. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “This is going to sound dumb and obvious but you know who my mother is, right?”

“Everyone knows who your mother is,” Brandon answered, setting the plate of sandwiches between them. “And your father for that matter.”

“I just have to make sure that what we talk about doesn’t leave the blanket.”

“Whatever you tell me is more secure than the crowned jewels.”

Ella gave him a small smile and picked a bit of crust from her sandwich. “My mom is having another baby.”

Brandon crossed his legs and quietly listened as Ella vented her anger and frustration over the situation. By the end, her sandwich was a mutilated mess and her lap was covered in crumbs.

“Tergeo,” Brandon whispered, aiming his wand at her trouser and siphoning up her mess. “The new baby will be your fourth sibling?”

“Yup and I’m smack dab in the middle of them all. Average Ella, just there in the background.” Suddenly famished, Ella grabbed a second sandwich and took a proper bite.

“I find it hard to believe you’re just average. What makes your siblings so special?”

Ella washed down the sandwich bite with a sip of cider. “My older brother and sister are twins. Hugo is this talented dragon tamer who married the girl he has been in love with since he was five years old. Eliza is a potions prodigy turned Healer after she helped develop a cure for Lycanthropy.”

“Wait, that’s your sister? Professor Grant gushes over her every chance he gets.” He caught Ella’s forlorn look and frowned. “Which I am sure you know all too well. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.” Ella sighed and continued, “Sabrina is the current baby of us so she naturally gets doted on. She’s also my mother’s look-a-like and my father’s shadow. I guess I was hoping this year might be different, with graduation and university on the horizon.”

Brandon raised his eyebrows. “University? As in Muggle University?”

Ella blushed. She hadn’t actually told anyone else what she had planned post-Hogwarts. “Yeah, I’d like to experience life away from magic and maybe work towards a degree in Astrophysics.”

“Damn. When you set goals you set them high. What university did you have in mind?”

For the next hour, Ella and Brandon talked about their Muggle experiences. Ella found it easy to talk to Brandon. He didn’t push or pry for information and it made Ella comfortable to open up about a few of her other dreams for the future such as living abroad and eventually earning a Muggle Ph. D.

After the food was gone, Brandon reached into the basket and pulled out one last treat. “Flake?” he asked with a grin.

“One of my favorites,” Ella said, unwrapping the chocolate. “You wouldn’t happen to have any ice cream in your magic basket to go with it, would you Mary Poppins?’

“Alas, I have exhausted my resources. I’ll have to remember ice cream for next time.”

“Next time?” Ella said in surprise.

“Next weekend?” Brandon suggested, levitating the empty cups and dishes into the basket. He stood and offered a hand to help Ella up. “If the weather turns we can always sneak up to the Astronomy Tower.”

Ella took his hand and he tugged her to her feet. He held on for a few extra seconds even though Ella was standing and steady. 

“I’d like that.”

Brandon smiled and squeezed her hand, sending tingles up her arm and filling her stomach with fluttering fairies. 

“All right then. It’s a date.”


	3. Chapter 3

“When will the baby be born? Can it sleep in my room? Can I help pick the name?”

Fred gave his wife a small smile as Sabrina sat on her lap and fired off question after question. He kept glancing at the door, hoping that Ella would come back. He had made to go after her but Hermione stopped him, saying that Ella needed some time and space to process the news. One way or another, they would see her before they went home for the day. The more he thought about the incident, the antsier he got to have a proper conversation with his daughter.

As Rosmerta cleared away their lunch plates and Sabrina was digging into a large helping of sticky toffee pudding, Fred stood and kissed Hermione on the cheek. “I’m going to make a quick trip to the post office.”

“Fred, really--” Hermione started.

“I want to talk to her on my own before we both speak to her. So unless you’re going to use your Minister superpowers to get us onto the grounds, I’m going to send a quick letter to Neville.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“I know.” He kissed her once more and then placed one on Sabrina’s head. “It won’t take me long. I’ll meet you on the street once dessert’s done.”

Hermione nodded and Fred made his way out of the inn and onto the main street of Hogsmeade. Students darted and meandered in either direction, a few calling out greetings to him as they passed. Some he recognized, many he didn’t and chalked it up to being mistaken for George. After all these years, through numerous hairstyles and the fact that George still only had one ear, the brothers still got mistaken for one another, though it had been decades since they felt identical. 

“Hullo, Fred,” David, the post office clerk, greeted. “Don’t see you ‘round here on Saturdays often. Everything okay at the shop?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Hermione and I are visiting the girls on their Hogsmeade weekend.” He flinched as the owl perched beside him let out a screech. “I just need to send a quick note up to the castle. Any short distance owls available?”

“Of course. Stew here is one of our designated Hogwarts owls. He’ll deliver anything you want for a sickle.” David stroked the feather of a nearby grey barn owl. 

“Excellent.”

Fred scrawled a quick letter asking Neville to meet him at the shop, at his earliest convenience. He handed a sickle to David, who also took the parchment and attached it to Stew’s leg. Fred watched the owl fly up and out of the post office before saying goodbye to David and heading back outside.

He found the girls outside The Three Broomsticks, talking to another woman. Even from the back, Fred recognized Minerva McGonagall right away. Her once raven hair had faded to silver and grey but was pulled back into its traditional tight bun and her posture was as straight as an arrow. Most impressive for a woman approaching a hundred years old.

“Professor McGonagall,” Fred greeted as he approached the group. 

“How many times must I tell you to stop calling me Professor?” Minerva huffed, narrowing her gaze at Fred. “I have not been your teacher in over 30 years.”

“Sorry. Old habits, Professor,” Fred said, earning another huff from Minerva and a giggle from Sabrina, who was currently attached to Minerva’s hip. They had asked Minerva to be Sabrina’s godmother the day she was born and their former teacher had accepted at once, subsequently spoiling the little witch every chance she got. 

“I was just telling Hermione about how I like to come into the village when the students visit and I was pleasantly surprised to find them on my travels,” Minerva explained, wrapping an arm around Sabrina’s shoulders. “May I steal them for a bit of window shopping?”

“Of course. I was about to say that I’m going to nip to the shop and wait for Neville.” Fred gave Hermione a kiss and said, “You ladies have a good time and stay out of trouble.”

“Love you, Dad,” Sabrina called, pulling Minerva down the cobbled street. Hermione kissed him once more before following the unlikely duo.

Fred sauntered off in the other direction to the Hogsmeade’s Wheezes shop. He still got a childhood thrill walking into the shop. After taking it over from Zonko’s, he and George hadn’t changed much at all. Seeing as it had sparked their inspiration so many years ago, they left the layout and a lot of the decor as an homage to their predecessor. 

More shouts of “Alright, Mr. Weasley?” rang through the shop as he stepped through. Fred waved and nodded as he made his way to the counter where two of his younger, twenty-something, employees were ringing up students. 

“Your daughters were in here, not so long ago,” Grace said, trying to hide a smile.

“Ella almost had to stun yer youngest t’stop her from raidin’ the storeroom,” Clark boomed with a chuckle. “Sneaky one, she is. Told us she has to do a routine inspection.”

Fred sighed and shook his head. “Sneaky doesn’t even begin to describe Bree. Never let her back there without me or George.” The two employees laughed and nodded, never missing a beat on their counts. “I’m going to go have a look at the supply orders for Monday. When Neville Longbottom comes in, will you please send him back?

“Will do, sir,” Grace said with a salute. 

Fred rolled his eyes at her exaggerated formality and ducked behind the curtain where the stockroom, production lab, and main office were. For a moment Fred was torn between the office and lab, suddenly itching to work on the new Skiving Snackbox idea he and George were brainstorming. The Scratching Sultanas would have to wait. Getting the supply orders filled out would give them a good jump on Monday’s itinerary.

A half-hour later Fred was finishing up the final form when there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Fred called, putting his signature on the bottom of the parchment with a little extra flourish on the ‘y’.

“You requested my presence, Mr. Weasley?” Neville said, plonking down in the chair next to Fred.

“I tell them all the time to call me Fred but they insist on Mr. Weasley,” Fred said, gathering the forms into a pile and placing them in the OUT basket.

“You ever think it’s because you have an identical twin and if they call you Mr. Weasley they’ll never be wrong?”

“Stop being so bloody logical Nev.”

Neville grinned and kicked back in the chair. “So, what is this random summons about?”

“I need someone to get me into the castle, specifically up to Gryffindor tower. Who better to ask than the Head of Gryffindor house?”

“You’re married to the Minister for Magic and you’re asking the Herbology professor for help?”

“You know Hermione won’t use her position to get special privileges, especially when it comes to Hogwarts.”

Neville nodded. “The effects of living through the Umbridge regime. What do you need to get into the school for?”

Fred scrubbed his hands over his face. Hermione and he had decided to only tell a few essential people about the baby news, their children being the first. They were planning on telling the rest of the family the following day at Sunday dinner because both Hugo and Eliza would be coming back into the country for the day. 

After quick consideration, he decided that Neville could be included in the essential people, given how badly Ella had taken the news. Plus, he was one of their oldest friends and he knew Nev wouldn’t turn around and sell the story to The Prophet.

“Hermione is pregnant and we came in for the day to tell the girls. Ella was not very receptive to the news and ran off.”

“Ahh. Well, first off, congratulations?”

Fred laughed and nodded. “I’m not gonna pretend it was planned and there’s quite a bit of anxiety over how a new baby will fit into our lives, but we’re also excited. I mean, what’s one more? We lost any sense of sanity long ago.”

“Don’t know how you two do it, mate. One was more than enough for Hannah and me.”

“We were never given the option of one. How is little Frankie doing?”

“Well, if he hears you call him Frankie he’ll hex ya.” Neville rolled his eyes. “Typical teenager. Tries to pretend Hannah and I aren’t in the castle and don’t know everything he gets up to. He’s a good lad, though. Compared to others I have to deal with, we get off lucky with the occasionally broken curfews and missed assignments. The threat of his O.W.L.s this year has settled him down quite a bit.”

“O.W.L.s aren’t as important as everyone makes them out to be,” Fred scoffed.

“Please don’t say that within earshot of the students,’ Neville said, standing and then adding, “Or your wife for that matter. You wanna head up now?”

“Sure.” Fred stood and threw his coat on. “Thanks for helping me out with this Nev. I want to try and talk to Ella one-on-one before the day is out.”

“No problem, Fred. I did see her earlier and she didn’t seem too upset.” They said goodbye to Grace and Clark as they left the store. “She was with Brandon Hastings, walking around the grounds.”

“What do you know about this Brandon kid?” Fred asked, not bothering to hide his suspicious tone.

“He’s a perfectly nice guy,” Neville assured with a chuckle. “Muggleborn, very smart, super helpful. He actually started a tutoring group to help struggling students. For a future son-in-law, he’s a good choice.”  
  
“Fuck, Nev,” Fred groaned, kicking a bit of gravel over his mate’s boots. “Don’t say shit like that. They’re only seventeen.”

“Just taking the piss. If it’s any consolation, I have not heard anything through the grapevine about them dating.”

It was slightly comforting for a moment until Fred remembered that Ella had told them about meeting the boy for lunch. It seemed like only a matter of time before his sweet little girl had her first boyfriend, leading to her first kiss, leading to her first--

Fred let out an anguished moan and Neville patted his shoulder. “You weren’t any different at that age.”

“Now you sound like Hermione.”

The two chatted more about kids and careers as Neville led Fred up the path to the castle and then through the familiar hallways as they climbed to Gryffindor tower. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, she gave Fred a welcoming smile as Neville gave her the password, “Alihotsy”.

Walking into the Gryffindor common room made Fred feel as if he had never left. The urge to flop down on the worn couch by the fire was almost overwhelming. Younger students were scattered about, playing Gobstones and Exploding Snap, along with a few older students who seemed to be over the novelty of Hogsmeade visits.

“Hello, Professor Longbottom. What are you doing here, Mr. Weasley?”

Fred looked to the right and saw Ella’s friend, Samantha, surrounded by several thick books and throwing him a quizzical look.

“Heya, Sam,” Fred greeted. “Have you seen Ella?”

“She’s up in our room. Would you like me to go get her?”

“Please,” Fred said and Samantha hurried up the steps to the girls’ dormitories.

Samantha was back down within a minute but Ella was not with her. Before Fred could ask, she came over and said, “She’ll be down in a few minutes.” Then she reached out and gave Fred a hug, whispering, “Congratulations, Mr. Weasley. Don’t worry, Ella won’t stay angry for long.”

“Thanks, Sam. Mum’s the word, though,” he said, patting her shoulder before she returned to her work.

It took ten minutes but Ella did come down to the common room. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and glared at Fred for a moment before stalking over to him.

“Can I steal a few minutes?” Fred asked, gesturing towards the door.

“I guess,” Ella muttered, stepping around him and out the portrait hole. 

He and Neville followed, with Neville wishing him a hushed, “Good luck,” before turning the opposite direction of Ella.

She hadn’t stopped to wait for Fred but he was able to catch up with a few long strides and they silently made their way back down the stairs until they came to the entrance hall. Ella stopped and stared up at Fred. 

“Would you like to give me a refresher tour of the castle or get some fresh air?”

She took a quick glance down the corridor where a few students were meandering and then grumbled, “Outside, I guess.”

The day was starting to slowly wind down. A few of the first returning students were trudging up the path, cheek rosy and arms laden with bags of treats. Ella went right, heading towards the Whomping Willow and Hagrid’s hut. The chattering of students faded until all they could hear was the swish-swish of the Willow’s branches. 

Fred sat himself down on the grass and called, “You ever going to talk to me again, Sunshine?”

Ella finally stopped and glanced back at him. He saw her shoulders sink as she turned and walked back to him. She sat down beside him, propped up her knees and rested her arms and chin against them. 

“I’m not five anymore. You don’t have to still call me that.”

“I don’t have to slip Canary Creams into Uncle Percy’s desserts and I still did that last week.”

Fred was happy to see her lips curve in the direction of a smile, even if they didn’t make it the whole way.

“You know, you were partially right during your rant in the pub.”

“How was I only partially right?” She cocked her head so that she was finally looking at him. “That’s how I’m feeling and Mum always says feelings aren’t wrong.”

“You’re right in that your mother doesn’t quite understand what it’s like to be stuck in the middle of a big family and feel like you’re invisible. But I do. And so does your Uncle George.”

Ella snorted and looked away again. “Right. Like you and Uncle George, the genius pranksters could ever be invisible.”

“We weren’t always ‘the genius pranksters’. During our school days, we were the pains in the ass that got into trouble and scraped by in class. Look at who we had come before us. Bill, Prefect,  _ and _ Head Boy. Charlie, Mr. Quidditch Captain,  _ and  _ Prefect. Do you even want me to get into Perfect Percy?” Fred scooted over and let his shoulder bump Ella’s. “I know exactly what it feels like to be lost within your family. If we made you feel that way then I am so so sorry, sweetheart. That’s us failing as parents and there’s no excuse for it.”

Ella leaned her head against his shoulder and he heard her sniffle. “It’s just, this summer it felt like things were getting back to normal. Mum wasn’t gone so much and you weren’t running back and forth to all of Bree’s extracurriculars. I was looking forward to starting my last year here and things were going so well. Now, it’s all going to be chaos again.”

“It’ll only be chaos if we let it devolve into it.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. “Sometimes all we can do is roll with what life gives us and make the best of it. Now that we know how you’ve been feeling, we’ll make sure we do better.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Ella whispered, swiping a hand over her eyes. “Let me guess, Sabrina is beyond excited.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Fred chuckled. “She’s already asking if she can name the baby.”

“Please don’t saddle the new baby with some obscure ancestral name.”

Fred sighed. He never thought his daughter would despise her given name to such a degree.

“Do you know why we named you Cedrella?” he asked. 

“Yes, after Great-Grandmother Weasley.”

“It wasn’t just  _ after _ her. You are her. I vividly remember the day you came into this world. Most babies cry with their first breath. Not you. You came into this world with those blonde curls and a look of determination on your wrinkled face, like you were ready to take on the world and whatever it dared throw at you.”

“Your great-grandmother was an amazing woman, with a mind of her own. She was determined to follow her own path, sod all what her family said. She broke from tradition and blazed her own trail. At one minute old, I could see that same spark in you. Almost eighteen years later, that spark has turned into an inferno and I can’t wait to see where it takes you.”

Ella sniffled and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I guess it’s not the worst name in the world. Do you think Grandad Weasley still has some pictures of her at The Burrow?”

“Of course. Next time you’re home, we’ll brave the ghoul and take a trip to the attic.” Fred stood and offered his hand to Ella.

“I don’t like the ghoul,” she muttered, allowing Fred to pull her to her feet. “He smells bad and I’m pretty sure those pajamas are fused to him.”

“Mmm, yeah, we could never talk him out of those after the war. He grew quite fond and Uncle Ron didn’t want them back so we didn’t fight him for them. Let’s go see if Mum and Sabrina have gotten back from Hogsmead.”

The walk back to the castle was much smoother and upon entering they were greeted by Hermione, Minerva, Sabrina, and a meowing basket.

“You got her a cat?” Fred said defeatedly, looking from the basket to Hermione.

“No,  _ I  _ got her a  _ kneazle _ ,” Minerva corrected.

“You’re going soft in your old age, McGonagall.”

Hermione was nervously looking between Fred and Ella. Fred nodded and relief washed over her face.

“She’s really cute, Dad! Wanna see?” Sabrina squealed with excitement. She lifted her basket up to him.

“All right, let’s see the furball.” He lifted the lid of the basket and Ella leaned in for a closer peek as an orange head popped up. “She kinda looks like Crookshanks without the frying-pan-to-the-face look.”

“Hey! Leave poor Crookshanks rest in peace,” Hermione cried, giving his shoulder a shove.

“Aww, you’re just adorable,” Ella cooed, scooping the kneazle out of the basket nuzzling her face against the fur. “Did you name her yet?”

“Winifred Frances Rayne Weasley,” Sabrina declared, her proud smile growing wider. “Winnie for short.”

“Right. Welcome to the family, Winifred,” Fred chuckled, stroking Winnie’s head and feeling the gentle rumble of her purr. “Make sure you take care of her.”

“I will. I promise,” Sabrina said, marking an invisible X across her chest.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” And Fred gave her a wink.

“Daaaad,” she groaned.

Ella placed Winnie back into the basket and turned to Hermione. “I’m sorry, Mum. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Hermione sighed, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Ella. “I’m sorry we made you feel that way. I promise we’ll do better from now on.”

“Me too,” Ella promised. “Are you guys staying for dinner?”

“No, I think it’s time we head home. We’ve had enough excitement for one day without causing a ruckus in the Great Hall.”

“I’m going to take Winifred down to my dormitory and show Lilah. Thanks again, Aunt Minerva.” Sabrina gave them all quick, one-arm hugs before scurrying in the direction of the dungeons. 

“If you two would like to come back to my cottage, you’re welcome to use my floo,” Minerva offered. “I imagine you’ve gone off Apparition for the time being.”

“That would be most helpful,” Hermione said, nodding. “Apparition has been--”

“Ella!”`

Their heads turned to see a boy with shaggy blonde hair waving. Ella’s face instantly flushed and Fred knew who the boy was.

“Hi, Brandon,” Fred called, waving back.

“Dad! Seriously?” Ella hissed.

Brandon didn’t appear phased. He smiled and approached their little group. “Hello, Mr. Weasley, Minister Granger-Weasley, Professor McGonagall.” He reached out to shake their hands.

“Very nice to meet you, Brandon,” Hermione said, shaking his hand.

“I don’t believe I had you as a student,” Minerva said, shaking his hand and looking as though she was trying to place him in one of her former Transfiguration classes.

“No, I wasn’t lucky enough to start before you retired, ma’am. But, as my No-Maj cousin says, heroes get remembered and legends never die.” Brandon gave her a smile that could rival Gilderoy Lockhart’s, except that Brandon’s actually seemed genuine.

“Oh, well, thank you,” Minerva said, a rare moment of fluster tinging her voice.

Brandon turned his attention to Ella and said, “I was just heading to dinner. I thought maybe you’d like to turn traitor for an evening and sit with me?”

“Yes, sure,” Ella said quickly before taking a deep breath and adding, “I was just saying goodbye to the family.” She turned to Fred and Hermione. “Goodbye, family.”

“Nice try, Sunshine.” Fred scooped her into a hug, intentionally holding on a tad longer than normal.

“Love you, Dad,” she grumbled, squirming out of his arms and hugging Hermione. “Love you, too, Mum,” she whispered and Fred smiled when he saw her rub a hand over Hermione’s stomach. 

“Maybe we should stay for dinner, Min,” Fred teased, looking towards the great hall.

“Enjoy the rest of your weekend,” Hermione called as Ella and Brandon hurried away and she steered Fred towards the exit.

* * *

Hermione anxiously tapped her nails on the kitchen countertop. She had thought Sabrina and Ella would be the easiest ones to break the news to and had been grandly mistaken. How was it going to be telling the rest of the family? How was the rest of Britain going to react when the news got out.

“You’re overthinking again,” Fred murmured, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“How can I not overthink this? I’m the Minister for Magic. I’m supposed to be an example of responsibility and sound decision making! This isn’t--”

Fred spun her around and silenced her rant with a kiss. “The people who know us won’t give a toss about how this looks. We’re two married adults having a child. It’s not a scandal. Or as my elegant brother put it, we’re not two teenagers up the duff.”

“The Prophet is going to have a field day with this,” Hermione moaned.

“If we’re careful,” Fred started and then laughed when Hermione arched an eyebrow. “Okay, more careful than what we have been. We have the chance to spin the narrative, control when and how the news gets disseminated.”

“I’m already starting to show,” Hermione said, yanking up her sweater and displaying an unmistakable bump. “I shouldn’t say already. Three months along. We should have found this out a month ago.”

“Shoulda, coulda, wouldas aren’t going to get us anywhere, darling. Robes will hide this,” he said, caressing her stomach, “until you’re ready to spread the word of her impending arrival.”

Hermione laughed and pulled her sweater back into place. “Her? What makes you think it’s a girl?”

“There’s a set precedent. Would you like to put a few Galleons on it? I was planning on starting a pool after dinner today.”

“I am not placing bets on our unborn child.” Hermione let out a long breath and then said, “Speaking of dinner, are you ready? Hugo and Eliza should be there by now.”

“Yes. Would you like to walk? The weather is still being cooperative.”

“A walk sounds nice. I just need to pee before we leave.”

Several minutes later, Hermione and Fred strolled through the orchards. The apple trees were hanging low with fruit ripe for picking. Fred transfigured his scarf into a bag and they gathered a good amount for Molly so that she didn’t have to worry about making an unnecessary trip. 

When they reached The Burrow, George was sitting outside with Charlie, Bill, and Hugo. When Hugo caught sight of his parents a grin spread across his face and he jumped up from the picnic table to greet them.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Hermione said, reaching up to give him a hug. He had been taller than her since age twelve. “How was the trip?”

“We actually came by plane this time. Decided to skip the portkey and try something different,” Hugo said as he gave Fred a hug.

Hugo had followed in his Uncle Charlie’s footsteps and worked on the dragon reserve in Romania. He and his wife, Lorilei, had been there for several years now. With Eliza working for France’s national magical hospital, Hermione missed having her kids all in one country. It took all of Hermione’s willpower not to be ‘that mum’ when she saw openings in the Highlands Reserve or at St. Mungos.

“I hope you brought your grandad a souvenir,” Hermione laughed. “I’ll take these inside,” she said, taking the bag of apples from Fred.

“You sure?” he asked hesitantly, not quite letting the bag go.

“It’s fine,” she assured, giving the bag an extra tug. 

Inside The Burrow was the usual pre-meal chatter and bustle. The atmosphere had changed so much over the years. For what seemed like an eternity there were constantly little ones running about and getting into anything and everything. Sabrina and Lilah were the youngest of the Weasley grandchildren though and it had been a while since they had to worry about them getting into trouble. 

Now the original Weasley homestead was full to bursting with Arthur and Molly’s grown kids and grandkids. She found Audrey, Percy’s wife, and Fleur helping Molly put dishes together. She gave her mother-in-law a kiss and set the apples on the counter.

“Oh, thank you so much, Hermione, dear!” Molly gushed, giving the bag a pat. “I was just telling Arthur I was overdue for making an apple crumble.”

Molly Weasley moved a little slower as she approached eighty but she kept up with all the same activities. Homemade meals were on the table every evening, sweaters were knitted for every family member each Christmas, and her garden was never left overgrown. The only thing she had gotten slightly lax on was the gnomes. She claimed that she didn’t have the energy to throw them over the fence anymore but wouldn’t let any of the kids come and help with the task. Fred theorized that his mum was missing having little ones around so much she had come to think of the squat little creatures as pseudo-grandkids.

Arthur had retired from the Ministry, though he still consulted with and trained interns that come through. Retirement meant he had more time to tinker with his Muggle gadgets, which led to him and Charlie building an addition onto his workshop. His biggest accomplishments have been repairing an old television and getting it to run on magic and restoring a ‘75 Reliant Robin. The car had sparked the ‘Great Debate of 2015’ when, upon completion, Arthur announced he was going to get his Muggle driving license. Molly hadn’t been keen on the idea from the beginning and dug her heels in even more after Teddy and Victoire showed her an episode of the Muggle show Top Gear that highlighted the Robin’s flaws. The standoff lasted almost the whole year until Molly caved, telling Arthur that if he ended up in hospital she wasn’t coming to visit him. She then had Bill secretly put protective spells on the car that would prevent it from tipping and rolling over. 

“Hey, ‘Mione.” Ron kissed her cheek and reached around her to steal a roast potato from the pan Molly had just pulled from the over. “How are you and Fred enjoying the empty house?” he asked with a wink.

“It’s too quiet,” Hermione said with a slight frown. “I mean, it has its advantages but still doesn’t feel right.”

“You’ll be surprised how easy it is to get used to it, though.”

Shortly after returning from his and Harry’s two-year mission, Ron had reconnected with Padma Patil and they married the following year. Their youngest, Andrew, had graduated from Hogwarts the previous year. 

“Is Eliza here yet?” Hermione asked, peering over his shoulder.

“Yes. Last I saw her she was in the sitting room, talking to Louis about healing stuff that I didn’t understand for more than one reason.”

“Thanks.”

She wound her way through the family and found her oldest daughter with Bill and Fleur’s only son, Louis. He was a potioneer at the same hospital as Eliza and the two were conversing in fluent French that Hermione was only able to translate fifty-percent of. As soon as Eliza saw Hermione standing in the doorway she leaped up and wrapped her in a hug.

“Hello, darling. How was your trip?”

“It was a portkey, nothing exciting. I just wish I could stay longer but Hugo was insistent that I be here today. He’s lucky I love him and was able to get a day off,” Eliza laughed.

“Why did Hugo insist you come today?”

Eliza shrugged. “He didn’t give a reason. I assumed this was a weekend he was able to get off and he wanted to see as much family as he could.”

“Five minutes!” Molly called and Hermione’s stomach let out an audible growl. 

“Bit peckish, Mum?” 

“My toast and tea have worn off.”

The fireplace suddenly flared and Ginny stumbled out, quickly followed by Harry.

“Did we miss the food?” Ginny panted, dusting soot from her shoulders and pushing her hair back into place. 

“You’re good. Molly just sounded the five-minute warning.” Hermione reached out and smoothed down the last few flyaways of Ginny’s hair. As with the rest of them, hers was streaked with hues of white and grey. When Harry had joked about aging into the ‘salt and pepper look’ Ginny claimed hers wasn’t salt and pepper, it was cinnamon and sugar. Hermione thought that was a pretty apt description of her best friend.

“Lily shouldn’t be far behind us,” Harry said, giving Hermione’s cheek a kiss. “She sent an owl--”

Flames surged in the floo again and Harry and Ginny’s youngest stepped out with her new boyfriend.

“Did we miss the food?” Lily asked.

“We’re just in time,” Ginny assured. “Hi, Michael.”

Lily’s boyfriend gave a wave but said nothing. He looked slightly pale and frightened, like a cornered Crup. Hermione realized it was the first time he would be meeting the majority of the family.

“Don’t let Lily’s stories scare you,” Harry said, slapping Michael on the back. “They're all harmless.”

“Just don’t accept anything offered to you directly from Fred or George,” Lily warned. Michael nodded as if he had already been told this several times.

“It’s sound advice,” Hermione agreed.

“Everyone outside!” Molly called.

One by one, the family filed out the back door, taking along a heaping dish of food that Molly handed to them. Several picnic tables had been expanded and were bordered with large torches to keep the area warm and protected from the autumn winds. Hermione set her bowl of mashed potatoes in the middle of the table and then took a seat beside Fred. Hugo, Lorelei, and Eliza sat down on the opposite side as plates and silverware floated down in front of them all. 

Hermione and Fred decided to wait until dessert to share the baby news. They weren’t very worried about anyone taking the news poorly but they thought it might be better to announce when everyone had a full stomach.

Across the table, Hugo suddenly stood up and cleared his throat. “Before we eat, Lorilei and I have some exciting news to share with everyone.”

Fred and Hermione’s heads snapped up. Lorilei had also stood and was beaming up at Hugo, a hand placed on her stomach.

“Oh no,” Hermione whispered, gripping Fred’s arm under the table.

“We’re having a baby!” Lorelei exclaimed.

“Oh no, no no no no,” Hermione muttered while trying to hold a smile on her face as chaotic excitement erupted around the table. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She was having a baby and at the same time--

“You’re going to be grandparents!” Hugo cried, reaching across and slapping Fred’s shoulder. 

“Congratulations!” Fred called, standing up and reaching over to shake his son’s hand. “That’s amazing news! Right, Hermione?” He looked down and his face fell. “Min?”

“Yeah, of course. Amazing...I…” Hermione’s stomach churned. “I have to throw up.”

Hermione jumped up and bolted into the house, up the stairs, and made it to the bathroom in time to wretch what little bit was still in her stomach into the toilet. When nothing was left, she groaned and rested her head against the cool porcelain. Grandma...she was a pregnant grandma...

“Mum?” Eliza called, lightly knocking on the door. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Hermione called back. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

She pushed herself to her feet and leaned over the sink, taking slow, deep breaths. She opened the cabinet and took a swig of mouthwash, rinsing the bile taste from her mouth, and then splashed some cold water on her face. 

When she made it back downstairs, Fred was waiting for her along with Hugo and Eliza looking worried and a tearful Lorilei.

Hermione immediately rushed over and gave Lorelei a hug. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil your big announcement.”

Lorelei sniffled into Hermione’s shoulder. “Are you upset with us?” she cried.

“Not at all. It’s wonderful news.” Hermione pulled back and wiped away her own tears. With a deep breath, she said, “I was having a minor panic attack because it’s just that, well, we had the same news to share today.”

She felt Fred come up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. Hugo and Eliza shared side-eyed looks and then shot looks of disbelief and confusion at her and Fred. It took a minute before Eliza finally said, “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I like to leave that to your father.”

Lorelei dabbed her eyes with a tissue and asked, “When are you due?”

“March thirty-first.”

Her daughter-in-law-grinned. “Twenty-eighth,” she said, pointing to her stomach.

“So, wait. Let me get this straight,” Hugo said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to be getting a new brother or sister--”

“We all know it’s a girl,” Fred sighed.

Hugo laughed and continued, “At the same time that I’m having my own child?”

“It would appear that way,” Hermione said, letting out her own sigh. “We didn’t plan for this. I know it’s a huge surprise and not normal--”

“When has anything in the Weasley family ever been normal?” Hugo laughed. He wrapped his arms around Hermione and hugged her tight. “Just another grand adventure.”

Eliza came around to Hermione’s side and joined in on the hug. “Whatever you need, Mum, we’re here for you. You too, Lor,” she said, pulling Lorelei into the huddle. 

“Oh! You two ran off before we could tell you the best part!” Hugo cried, clapping his hands.

Lorelei scowled at him and said, “I thought the  _ baby _ was the best part?”

“Yeah, of course, I meant the second best part.” He put on a faux cringe face as he wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist. “I’m taking a transfer and we’re going to stay in England for the next year so we can be around family. And, depending on how things go, maybe we’ll stay even longer.  _ Maybe _ ,” he repeated when Hermione’s face lit up.

“I’ll take whatever time we can get.”

“Dad, would it be okay with you and George if we took over the flat above the Diagon Alley shop for a few weeks while we house hunt?” 

“Sure, when are you looking at moving in?” Fred asked.

“Tonight? I have to go back to Romania to move the rest of our stuff but Lorelei was hoping to not have to fly all the way back there and then here again. If it’s just me then I can catch portkeys and make it ten times easier and quicker.”

“Yeah, we’ll head over after dinner and work on cleaning it up.”

“Are you lot planning on coming back to eat or should we start without you?” Molly called from the back door.

“We’re coming,” Hermione called back, slipping her hand into Fred’s. “Ready for this?” she asked, looking up at his grinning face.

“Let’s go shock and awe that crowd.”


	4. Chapter 4

**October**

“Ella!”

Startling at the unexpected hiss of her name, Ella whirled around with her wand raised and ready. All she found though was an empty corridor. Just when she thought her mind was playing tricks, she heard the hissing voice again.

“Psst! Ella! Over here!”

Ella finally saw her little sister’s head poking out of the bathroom entrance. Letting out a sigh of relief and tucking her wand back in her robes, she hurried over to Sabrina.

“What is it? I’m due in Professor Longbottom’s office in five minutes for career counseling.”

“I have a problem,” Sabrina whispered, pulling Ella into the bathroom. When she turned back to face Ella, there were tears streaming down her face and she sobbed, “I got my first period.”

“Ohh.” Ella opened her arms and Sabrina fell into her embrace, crying about not having any pads and not being able to go to class because her robes were stained. “It’s okay, Bree. You’re not the first one faced with this problem. Take your robes off.” As Sabrina shed her green and silver school robes, Ella moved her wand to her bag and then took off her robes as well. “Here, wear mine so you can get back to your dormitory.”

“What about these?” Sabrina sniffled, holding up her soiled Slytherin robes

“I got it covered. Kenzi?”

Barely a second later, there was a soft pop and a house-elf, wearing a pale blue apron, appeared between them. In her second year, against her mother’s objections, her dad had told Ella how to get into the Hogwarts kitchens and encouraged her to make friends with the house-elves. It had been one of the best pieces of advice she’d been given. She was on good terms with all the elves now, but she had struck up a strong friendship with a particularly upbeat elf named Kenzi.

“Hello, Miss Ella! Does you need helping?” the little elf squeaked, her big green eyes beaming up at Ella.

“It’s my sister actually,” Ella answered, gesturing to Bree. “Kenzi, this is Sabrina. Bree, this is Kenzi.”

“Hi,” Sabrina said in awe, giving the house-elf a little wave.

“Sabrina started her monthly cycle and stained her robes.”

“Says no more, Miss Ella,” Kenzi chirped, gathering the dirty robes from the stone floor. “Kenzi will get these laundered right away and have them back to Miss Sabrina quick as a snitch.”

“Thank you, Kenzi,” Sabrina sighed, swiping a hand over her eyes.

“You is most welcome,” Kenzi answered, before disappearing with a pop.

Ella dug into the bottom of her bag and pulled out a pad. She tucked it into Sabrina’s satchel and then said, “There should be some in your dormitory bathroom, but just in case it’s empty. Now, come with me and Professor Longbottom can give you a hall pass so you don’t get in trouble with Mr. Filch.”

“Will you get in trouble with Neville for not wearing your robes?” Sabrina asked as she followed Ella out of the bathroom. 

“Nah, it’s just career counseling. I only had my robes on because I was coming from Transfiguration.” Ella glanced down as they walked and frowned. Her eternally optimistic and upbeat sister looked so disheartened. “You know, I got my period for the first time in the middle of class.”

“You did?”

“Uh-huh. It was in the middle of History of Magic. Want to know the worst part?” Sabrina nodded and Ella affected an exaggerated grimace. “I didn’t know until the end of class when I stood up and Patrick McDaniel pointed out the stain on my chair, nice and loud for everyone to hear.”

Sabrina’s eyes went wide. “What did everyone say?”

“They didn’t really have a chance to say anything because I punched Patrick and gave him a black eye.”

Her little sister threw her head back and burst into giggles. “Did you get in trouble?”

“Professor Longbottom gave me a week’s detention but when I told mum and dad why I did it, they sent me a basket of sweets from Honeydukes.” Sabrina laughed again and Ella slung an arm over her sister’s shoulder. “Welcome to womanhood.”

“Ugh...I already hate it.”

It was Ella’s turn to giggle as they came up to Professor Longbottom’s office. Sabrina got her hall pass and took off for the dungeons, with Ella’s robe trailing behind her. 

“How are you doing Ella?” Professor Longbottom asked, opening up a folder and pulling out sheets of parchment.

“Pretty well. Little stressed.”

Her head of house grinned and nodded. “N.E.W.T.s will do that.” He flipped through the parchments and said, “So, when we talked during your fifth year, you expressed interest in careers geared towards astronomy. Is this still the case?” Ella nodded and he continued, “Professor Sinestra has given you nothing but glowing reviews. I’m sure she would be more than happy to take you on for an apprenticeship.”

Ella scooted forward in her seat and tapped her fingers nervously on her knees. “She did mention that but I think I’m going to go a different route.”

“Nothing wrong with that. What did you have in mind?”

“I actually started applying to Muggle Universities.”

Professor Longbottom’s eyebrows rose and he let out a chuckle. “I’m going to assume by your nervous tapping that you haven’t mentioned this to your parents yet, have you?”

“No, sir,” Ella answered, chewing on her lower lip. “During my last two summer holidays, I’ve snuck off to London to sit my A-Levels and I started applying to Muggle Universities...in America.”

“Oh, Merlin, Ella,” Professor Longbottom groaned, slapping his hands over his face. “You’ve never been one to take the simple path. Exactly like your mother, you are.” He let out an exasperated laugh and let his hands fall back to the desk. “Look, I think this is brilliant. You are one of the brightest students in your year and I have no doubt you will do extraordinary things wherever you go. But you’ve got to tell your mum and dad. It’s not fair to leave them out of your plans.”

“I know,” Ella sighed, flopping back in her seat. “I know they’re not going to be happy about it though, and now with the new baby on the way, I’m afraid it’ll make things even tenser.”

Professor Longbottom gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. “I understand your apprehension but procrastination is only going to make it harder. I’m sure it will be a bit of a shock to them, but I know your parents and they’ll support you in whatever you choose to do.”

“I guess so.”

“Out of curiosity, what address are you using on your applications?”

“Nan and Grandad Granger’s”

“Of course.” Professor Longbottom closed his folder and shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. “I’m going to have a word with the headmaster about setting up either a floo connection or portkey so that you can go home for the weekend and speak to your parents about this. You’re of age so I, of course, can’t make you tell them, but I highly recommend you take the opportunity.”

Ella swallowed the nervous lump that had formed in her throat and nodded. “Thank you, Professor.”

Professor Longbottom stood and held out his hand. “I promise, it will all work out in the end.”

“I really hope you’re right,” Ella sighed, shaking his hand.

* * *

Hermione poured two cups of tea and listened as her daughter-in-law talked about the most recent article she had read on a parenting website. 

“There are a lot of mums on my message board talking about water births. Apparently it makes the transition from womb to world easier on the baby,” Lorilei said, accepting the cup Hermione handed to her. “Did you ever have a water birth?”

“No, I don’t believe the hospital I went to offered that.”

“I mentioned it to Hugo last night. He made a face and said it sounded silly.”

“Did he now?” Hermione hummed and took a sip of her tea, making a mental note to have Fred talk to their son. Lorilei was staying with them for the weekend because Hugo had been called back to Romania.

“Do you think it’s silly?” Lorilei asked with an anxious look. 

“I don’t think it’s silly at all. The most important thing is that you and the baby are comfortable and healthy. If Hugo has a problem with your choices tell him he can bring his complaints to his mother.” Lorilei let out a satisfied chuckle and Hermione picked a few grapes from the fruit plate that sat in between them. “Have you discussed names yet?

“Oh, god, I don’t know if you really want to go down that road.” Lorilei took a long sip of tea and shook her head. “We have very different tastes when it comes to names. I like classic names. Robert and Greta are my top choices but he wants something flashy and unique, like Talon or Ember. I told him we may as well just name our child dragon.” She let out a long sigh and said, “We have agreed that if it’s a boy the middle name will be Charles and Nicole for a girl, after my mother.”

“Those are both wonderful and I know Charlie would be so honored to--”

The sudden  _ whoosh  _ of the floo drew the women’s attention to the living room. Fred wasn’t due home for another two hours so she was surprised to see Ella come around the corner, her overnight bag slung over her shoulder.

“Ella? What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Hermione cried, rushing to her daughter’s side.

“Nothing’s wrong mum. Everything is fine.”

Ella let out a surprised yelp when Hermione flung her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “You had me really worried for a second.”

“I can see that,” Ella said, patting Hermione’s back and pulling back. Hermione let her go and Ella took the chance to hurry to Lorilei. “How are you doing?”

“Good,” Lorilei answered, standing so she could hug Ella. “Other than your brother wanting to name our child Talon, I’m doing really well.”

Ella laughed and turned back to Hermione. “Headmaster Flitwick connected his office floo so I could come home for the weekend. Is dad here?”

“No, he’s still the shop until five. Why did Filius send you home for the weekend?” Hermione moved to the counter where a small pile of mail sat. 

“I think I’m going to go have a nap before dinner.” Lorilei gave them a wave and headed up the steps. 

“Is Lorilei staying here?” Ella asked, sitting down at the table. 

“Just for the weekend. Hugo is in Romania and she didn’t want to be alone.” Hermione found the bit of mail she was searching for and set it in front of her. “So, why the surprise visit?” Instead of replying, Ella picked up a strawberry and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. Hermione couldn’t help but let a little smile slip, knowing exactly what her daughter was avoiding. “Ella?”

“Hmm?” Ella looked up, still chewing her fruit.

“Why did Filius send you home? Are you in trouble?”

Ella shook her head and sat down. “The headmaster didn’t send me home. Neville did.”

“Okay,” Hermione said slowly, picking up the mail and moving to the table. She sat down beside Ella and asked, “The second question still stands. Are you in trouble?”

“No, Mum, I’m not in trouble.” Ella picked up a blueberry and inspected it before saying, “Neville told me I should come home and discuss my post-Hogwarts plans with you and Dad.”

Hermione waited for her to go on, but Ella popped the blueberry in her mouth and looked back at the plate to pick out the rest of her favorite fruits. Merlin, it was easier to seduce a Hippogriff than get her daughter to talk.

“Would it help if I told you I have an idea about what you need to talk about?” Hermione asked. When Ella looked up, Hermione passed the stack of mail to her. “Nana Granger gave me these last week.”

Ella’s eyes went wide as she sifted through the stack of letters from various universities. When she came to a particularly thick envelope, she gasped and tossed the others to the side. “It’s from Brown University,” she whispered.

Hermione’s brows knitted together. She hadn’t noticed that one. “Isn’t that in America?”

“Yeah,” Ella said, eagerly tearing open the envelope. She pulled out the sheet of paper and Hermione bit her lip when she saw the word ‘Congratulations’ shining through in bold print. Ella let out a shriek and brought a hand to her mouth. “I got in!” She looked up at Hermione, shock and joy lighting up her face in a way Hermione hadn’t seen in a while. “They accepted me!” she shouted, jumping from her chair performing a series of quick little hops.

“Of course they did. You’re brilliant.” Hermione got up and pulled her daughter into a hug and kissed the side of her blonde curls. “Congratulations, sweetheart. I take it this was your first choice?”

“Yeah, I was researching different schools at Nana and Grandad Grangers and this one came up as one of the top schools for astrophysics. The more I looked at it, the more in love with it I fell.” Ella stopped celebrating for a moment and looked at Hermione. “Are you upset with me?”

“No, darling, I’m not upset.’

“Disappointed?”

“Yes, but not with you. I’m disappointed in myself. Sit down.” Once they were both situated in their chairs, Hermione explained, “I’m sorry if I didn’t make myself more approachable for you to talk about this because I understand why you’re hesitant to talk to your father about it.”

“Is he going to be mad?”

Hermione worried her lip and admitted the painful truth. “I can’t see his initial reaction being positive.” She reached across and gave Ella’s hand a squeeze. “But he’ll come around. He did with Hugo and Eliza.”

“Why is he against us moving away? Well adjusted adults don’t live with their parents forever.”

“I think I have an inkling about where that chip in his shoulder came from,” Hermione sighed, remembering how he reacted all those years ago when she was considering a job in New York City. “But don’t you worry about it. If this is what you want to do then you go for it. What is your next step?”

Hermione and Ella were working on filling out the entry forms and making lists for deadlines, supplies, and medical visits when Fred returned home. He was shocked to see their daughter there and after reassurances that there was no trouble or emergency, Ella showed him her acceptance letter.

“What is Brown University? And where is Rhode Island?” Fred asked, passing the paper back to Ella. 

“It’s a Muggle College and Rhode Island is in America,” Ella answered. Hermione could see the minute change in her position as she squared up her shoulders.

Confusion washed over Fred’s face. “Why would you want to go all the way to America for a Muggle school? Why do you even want to go to a Muggle school?”

“Because I want to study astronomy and this university is one of the best schools for astrophysics,” Ella replied.

“Why don’t you talk to Professor Sinestra about an apprenticeship? Then you can stay at Hogwarts and study astronomy,” Fred suggested and Hermione winced.

“I don’t want to stay at Hogwarts!” Ella cried. “I’ve spent the last seven years there. There’s a whole big world outside of that castle.”

“Why are all of you so keen to grow up and run away from here?”

“I’m not running away, Dad. I want to explore what the world has to offer. I want to see new places and meet new people. Why is this such a big deal?”

“Because one by one my kids are just deciding to up and leave me! How horrible of a father am I that everyone buggers off?” Fred argued, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“At the moment you’re being pretty horrible,” Ella spat back. “But it doesn’t matter. Mum supports my choice and you can’t stop me!” She turned to Hermione and said, “I’m going to Grandma Molly’s for dinner,” before storming out of the room.

Hermione looked at her husband and shook her head before turning and walking to the refrigerator to find something for their dinner. She was tempted to follow Ella to her in-laws’ but figured that someone should stay and knock some sense back into Fred.

Before she could say anything, Fred turned on her and said, “I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this!”

With a sigh, Hermione pulled some leftover chicken out and tossed it onto the counter. “Would you rather both of us push our daughter away? She’s an adult, Fred. We have to let her make her own choices.” She took out carrots and celery and spelled a set of knives to start chopping.

“Why America?”

“Why not America?” Hermione sent several potatoes to the cutting board and filled a soup pot with chicken broth.

“Because it’s across the fucking ocean!” Fred fell into a chair and kicked the table leg.

“Our kids have a natural curiosity about the world and want to pursue it. It’s not a bad thing.” She tossed all the ingredients into the pot and set it on the stove to simmer. Sitting across from Fred, Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. “I know when you’re using anger to mask your fear. Tell me what all of this is about.”

Fred scrubbed a hand over his face and looked at the ceiling for a minute before asking, “If we didn’t get together when we did, would you have moved to New York?”

Hermione let a small smile appear. She knew that was at the center of it all. She wrote off the feeling with Hugo and Eliza, chalking up Fred’s feelings to the newness of it and letting go of their first-borns. But recently he had been talking about finding jobs or apprenticeships within the Ministry and she knew he didn’t want her to follow her older siblings out of Britain.

With a heavy sigh, Hermione answered his question. “Yes, I would have.”

“Why?”

“Because it would have been a new challenge and I’d have got to see a new slice of the world I never did before. Also, I was head over heels for you but didn’t seem to be getting anywhere and thought that a few thousand miles between us might help me move on.”

“So, I held you back?” Fred muttered, still glaring at the ceiling.

Hermione yanked her hand from his and stalked back to the soup. “You’re just as infuriating now as you were twenty-five years ago, if not more.”

“Well, that’s how you’re making it sound!”

“You know damn well that that’s now how it was!” Hermione grabbed a knife and stabbed it into the wooden cutting board before wrenching it back out and slicing into a loaf of bread. With gritted teeth and tears clouding her vision, she was able to cut off several uneven slices. Placing the knife on the counter, Hermione hung her head and let out a ragged breath.

Walking back to where Fred still sat, Hermione pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around his waist. Looking up at his eyes, full of worry, she smiled as a few tears slipped down her cheek.

“You have never once held me back from anything, ever. You gave me everything I wanted in life- a home full of beautiful children and laughter, endless love and support, amazing sex.” Fred finally smiled and let out a little snorting laugh. “When you, finally, kissed me for the first time in the middle of your mother’s kitchen, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. At least not without you by my side. It was the truth twenty-five years ago and is still true today.”

Fred wrapped his arms around her and her close, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Pulling back, ever so slightly, he leaned down until his lips met hers. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she murmured, kissing him again and reaching down to grab his bum.

“Someone’s getting cheeky and frisky,” he chuckled, giving her side a tickle and making her squeak.

“Am I safe to come down?”

Hermione and Fred turned to see Lorilei standing on the last step, her face somewhere between amusement and worry.

“Yes, dinner is about ready,” Hermione said, waving her daughter-in-law to the table. 

“What are we going to do about Ella?” Fred asked, following Hermione to the stove.

“Prepare the checkbook?” Hermione stirred the soup and handed the plate of bread to her frowning husband. “We’re not going to be able to stop her so we’re going to support her. If we don’t, we’ll only end up pushing her away. Remember when you left school to open the shop? Your mum didn’t like it but she also didn’t stand in your way. We need to give Ella the same chance to make her own choices.”

Fred nodded and his shoulders slumped. “How can one person be right so often?” he muttered, taking the bread to the table.

Hermione filled three bowls with soup and floated them to the table. “It’s my gift and your curse,” she teased, sitting down and passing around silverware. “After you go and apologize to Ella, can you bring back some dessert? I remember talk of blueberry crumble when I was at The Burrow earlier and that sounds divine right now.”

* * *

  
  


“Would you like some ice cream with your crumble, dear?” 

A plate of blueberry crumble was set in front of her and Ella looked up into the smiling face of her grandmother, crows feet and laugh lines crinkling around her eyes and mouth.

“Yes, please,” she answered and Molly dropped a hearty scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream to the side of the fruit-filled dessert. “If you have any extra, can I take some home to Mum?”

“I already have some wrapped up for her,” Molly said with a wink.

Ella dug into her dessert and savored the first bite of sweet berries, the crumbly melt-in-your-mouth topping, and a dusting of granulated sugar. Blueberries were her weakness and her grandmother’s crumble was at the top of her favorite desserts list. It was like fate had sent her back home for that weekend.

A knock drew their attention to the back door. Grandma Molly had left the top half of the Dutch door open to let the cool autumn breeze drive out the stuffy heat of cooking. Now the opened top half was occupied by the figure of her harried father.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Grandma Molly looked at him and then back at Ella. “He looks pretty sorry. What do you think?”

“Yeah, let him in,” Ella answered, stuffing a forkful of blueberries and ice cream into her mouth.

Fred smiled and came in. When he sat down next to her, Grandma Molly set a plate of crumble in front of him. She couldn’t help but let a smug smile form when she noticed he had gotten a significantly smaller portion.

“Thanks, Mum,” he said before digging into his dessert.

Grandma Molly patted his shoulder and then gave his cheek a teasing smack. “I’m going to work on my knitting. Make sure you say goodbye before you leave,” she said and smoothed her hand over Ella’s hair before making her way to the sitting room. 

The pair ate their crumble in silence for a minute before her dad finally spoke up.

“Ella, I’m sorry for getting so angry at home. You deserve much better than that.” He set down his fork and wiped his mouth. “You know, growing up in the middle of a war--”

Ella groaned and let her head thud onto the table. “Dad, really?”

“Yes, it’s one of those ‘back in my day’ talks.” Her dad laughed as she rolled her eyes. “As I was saying, by the time I was your age, I experienced more loss than what one would consider average for a teenager. Some were close, some only acquaintances, but they all had a lasting effect. After the war, I got pretty lucky in that everyone I loved stayed close. I guess I got spoiled and expected everyone to forever remain in this safe circle. But…” he let out a heavy sigh before continuing, “that’s an unfair expectation for me to have. I always told you kids that I’d give you the world if I could. I even believe I literally told you to reach for the stars at one point. Leave it to you to actually go and do just that.”

“Dad? You’ve done one of your many tangent speeches and I’m not sure where we’re at.”

“What I’m trying to say is that whatever you do, wherever you go, I love you and I’m behind you, one hundred and fifty percent.” Her dad gave her a sad smile and tucked a lock of curls behind her ear. “The world isn’t mine to give anymore, Sunshine. It’s yours to take.”

Ella launched from her chair and wrapped her arms around her startled father. He chuckled and smoothed a hand over her hair. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, attempting to hold back tears. 

Once she had successfully blinked back the waterworks, she sat back down and finished her dessert as she told her father about Brown University and what she wanted to do there, all the while ensuring him that she’d be back home for every holiday and summer break. When their plates were empty, he floated them to the sink and stood up.

“I’m supposed to take some of that home for your mother and Lorilei,” her dad said, wiping his hands on his trousers.

“It’s already wrapped and waiting on the counter, dear,” Grandma Molly called. “Take the rest of the ice cream too.”

“Still has ears like a bat, she does,” he laughed, shaking his head.

“That’s why I was always one step ahead of you and George,” Molly called back with a cackle of laughter. 

“Mmm-hmm.” Fred shook his head and whispered, “Ask your Uncle Harry about his cousin and Ton-Tongue Toffee.”

“I swear to Merlin, Fred Gideon Weasley!”

Her dad’s eyes went wide and he started ushering Ella to the door. “Love you, Mum! We’ll stop by again before Ella has to go back.”

Ella grabbed the dessert and hurried out after her father, into the pleasant autumn evening, excited about everything that lay ahead for her.


End file.
